Slip Through the Cracks
by UsernameOK
Summary: A love story concerning the good, the bad, and the insane. Yandere!Shigaraki/OC. ON HIATUS.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: Hey, I'm so sorry, I completely forgot that there's some spoilers that pertain to the after math of the battle between All Might and All for One. This story takes place around in between the end of that and the beginning of the Internship Arc, so there might be spoilers for that too.**

In a darkened bar that she was certain could not be open to the public, Kaho Ryu kept her senses on alert; she half entertained the idea of asking the mist-like gentleman to make her a neat whiskey, but decided now was not the time for requests or lighthearted joking.

"Hey, hey, Dragon Lady really came!" Toga swung her legs back and forth, her slender body perched on one of the wobbly stools as she surveyed Kaho with a pleased grin. Dabi was leaning back behind the bar with a dull expression, seemingly not paying attention; Kurogiri stood further to the bench, much more watchful and serious than any of the other members of the League as Shigaraki walked a few paces forward.

"Giran, I assume you were smart enough to not reveal my identity to them?" Kaho asked the arms dealer who had escorted her inside the building.

The older man smiled carelessly and nodded as he lifted his half finished cigarette to his lips. "Now why would I want to risk losing a loyal customer? Do I look stupid?"

"You look distrustful." Kaho commented as he gaze slide to Shigaraki and the other villains. "In fact, everyone here looks pretty suspicious. You sure know some strange people."

"What an introduction. Hey there missy, want to tell us your name yourself?" Twice was messing around with the cherry in his Old-Fashioned, twirling it around by the stem in his fingers before just barely lifting the bottom of his mask to eat it whole.

"That young lady said it herself." Kaho nodded to Toga. "Not exactly what I would pick mind you, but the press and the public have decided it's a fitting code name. I don't mind if you all would prefer me to use your aliases."

"I'm Himiko Toga!" Toga piped up with little pause; Kaho tensed as she caught sight of the other girl's hand go into her cardigan. "Oh don't worry, I won't do anything unless Tomura-kun tells me to...but I would be fascinated to see how much you bleed~"

"That's enough Toga." Shigaraki spoke up for the first time; his voice was so hoarse, Kaho would have thought it belonged to an old man or a very sick invalid. The hand on his face reminded her of a twisted type of surgical mask.

"You're Shigaraki, yes? Giran told me about you, but I heard some tidbits from the grapevine." Kaho said, as she put a hand on her hip and surveyed him. "Not to mention that whole Stain fiasco."

Shigaraki's eyes narrowed just so, making the creases deepen. "Let me guess...a fan?"

"No. I never met the guy myself. And I really wouldn't want to."

"Mr. Stain is amazing!" Toga's flushed cheeks darkened at the very mention of the rogue's name; Dabi's eyes went to ceiling, but Kurogiri had yet to vocalize himself, choosing to wait patiently for Shigaraki's reaction.

"Scared?"

"I can't say I'd be able to match his skill." Kaho confessed. "Or his blood lust. No pun intended."

Toga and Twice were chuckling, but their reactions did nothing to ease Kaho's tension; it was clear these two had a few screws loose. Kurogiri was an ominous figure, and she most definitely couldn't help feel unnerved at Dabi's presence.

"What are you looking at?"

Dabi raised an eyebrow; Kaho couldn't help wonder how one obtained the look of a living rag doll of a corpse and she didn't think he'd be in the mood to talk about it.

"What's your name?"

"I go by Dabi."

"Still the closed off one, eh?" Giran chuckled as Dabi went back to his listless staring into nothing. "Shigaraki, I know you aren't fond of rudeness, but I hope my client's reluctance to give her name won't affect my commission?"

"I hardly call being cautious a reason to be reprimanded." Kaho remarked. "Stop making me out like I'm difficult before I even know what he wants."

"My main concern is my funds you know."

Kaho rolled her eyes lightly. "As if you don't make enough money. Anyway, excuse me Shigaraki, I assure you if I find this job to my liking, then I'm more than capable of cooperation."

"This meeting is to discuss much more than some job opportunity Miss. Dragon." Shigaraki spoke genially enough. "It's more of an offer to join a very promising organization."

Kaho cocked her hip and gave him a dry smile. "Organization, huh? Is that what the League of Villains is calling themselves?"

"Do you take issue with it?"

"No issue. Just an opinion."

Shigaraki regarded her for a moment; suddenly, Twice was speaking up.

"Hey Dragon Lady, check this out!" he stuck out his exposed tongue; it was harder for him to pronounce his words properly, but he somehow managed to keep speaking as the tied up stem rested on the tip of his tongue. "I can make a pretzel if I wanted to; what's your Quirk anyway? Do you have wings to go with those fangs?!"

Kaho almost laughed. "Afraid flight has nothing to do with my powers, though it would come in handy."

"Then just what is it that would make you useful?" Dabi inquired with a mildly critical tone. "Don't tell me you're some bloodsucker?"

Kaho's lips curved just so. "Hm. Giran, are you done with your cigarette?"

Giran was in fact just reaching into his jacket for a new, unopened pack. "Aw man, seriously?"

"Don't you trust me?" Kaho asked as he grudgingly took out a yet to be smoked cigarette and held it some inches from his face.

"Occasionally."

"Just don't move." Kaho turned to him and smiled. "Oh wait, you might want to stand back."

"Shit!"

Giran had to in fact leap out of the way as a blast of fire came shooting out at him; the circumference of the mini inferno nearly filled the hallway and charred the walls.

"Dammit, you almost burned off my eyebrows!" Giran looked despondently at his cigarette, which was less than a tiny pile of ash on the floor in front of him; he was crouched halfway to the ground.

"Oh, it was just a joke. I don't have a reason to kill you anyway." Kaho reminded him with as she blew smoke from her lips; they took shape in soft loops as they floated into the hall. With a sharp eye, she turned back to observe Shigaraki for his expression, or what she could see if it.

"So, now that you've seen a bit of what I can do, what can you do for me?"

The others in the room were looking at her with some approval; Toga was downright ecstatic and Twice was clapping and cheering like she had just performed a entertaining feat. Maybe almost burning a man alive was their idea of excitement.

"I'm not quite sold. What else can you do?"

"What, you want me to do a trick?"

"She's a hell of a shot." Giran spoke on Kaho's behalf at Shigaraki's dull tone. "Give her a gun and she might manage to kill you even faster than if she used that Dragon Breath of hers; she has a pretty decent physical strength too, though I couldn't say where that comes from."

"That's all well and good, but I can't say how much I appreciate her mouth."

Kaho sighed and scratched the back of her head. "Look, just what is it that you wanted me here for? Did you want to hire me as muscle?"

Shigaraki's fingers twitched and he cocked his head. "Are you willing to do anything for a fee?"

"Well, almost anything." Kaho smiled slyly.

"With eyes like those, I doubt any potential clients would be too keen to take up an offer." Giran added.

Kaho sent him a look; her slit pupil gaze at least served to cow him into shutting up for the time being; the memory of his nearly melted off skin already was a good incentive. With a wry smile, Kaho gave her attention to Shigaraki. "I will say, I'm not one for selling just any service. I'm more of a hired gun than anything else you could say. Do you want to draw up a contract for a hit?"

"Always getting right down to business. Same Ryu-chan."

Kaho gave Giran a look. "Way to give them half my identity."

"Ryu?! Talk about a coincidence! Well, if you want, you can call me Jin Bubaigawara. Or Jin-kun. Or Twice-kun. Jin-kun has a nice ring to it though….oh, I just realized somethin'!" Twice said as he stroked his clothed chin. "Dabi already has fire powers, so we don't exactly need another fire based member, do we? But then, if you could use weapons, and we have another cute girl on the team...then the more the merrier, right Dabi?"

"I don't care one way or the other, as long as she doesn't get in the way." Dabi said from his corner.

"Shigaraki, it would seem she would provide us with some useful talents." Kurogiri spoke carefully. "Ms. Ryu, allow us to explain exactly what the objective of this meeting is; we didn't ask your associate to bring you here just for a one time contract. We wish for you to join our ranks in the League of Villains; your membership would be greatly appreciated if you could lend us your strength and Quirk to help us achieve our goals."

Kaho looked at him with some skepticism. "I don't suppose your goals are in the line of 'taking over the world', or some such nonsense?"

"Miss Dragon, I don't think you're seeing just what we can offer you; that is what you're the most concerned with, right? If that's the case, we can provide you with more than enough monetary gains, and that's not even to say the power that comes from numbers, particularly when our numbers will soon far outclass those delusional heroes."

Kaho could not see much of his expression, but Shigaraki's shaky tone was quite pleased at the prospect of getting one up on the people he seemed to regard with so much disdain. His fingers were twitching almost rapidly as he spoke, and his piercing crimson eyes were flashing as he explained just what she had to gain.

"Everyone here has their own reasons for why they're here. A chance to challenge the corruption of the professional hero system, to live by their own standards and rules, to gain power, protection, to make the world a place we can be the ones on top, a chance to be among like minded comrades. You see Miss Dragon, we may all have our differing opinions and goals, but we can all agree on one thing; we don't care much for how the world works currently and we desire to do something about it and take what we want. You're a woman who knows what she wants. I like that. I'm sure we could come to some sort of arrangement that would satisfy your own motives. I commend you for your honesty on just what you hope to obtain, so please, if you have any further questions, feel free to ask away."

Kaho blinked and put her hand on her hip once more, the other hanging limply at her side as her eyes surveyed his own; she liked to see a person's face. It was easier to gage their intentions, and most people could leave themselves exposed through the tiniest tells. Unfortunately, Shigaraki's face was blocked and Kaho felt it a shame for the current situation; he seemed to be an emotionally unstable man to put it lightly, a fact which could provide her with some leverage in negotiations.

"I do have a couple questions Shigaraki."

"By all means."

"I take it you're definitely the leader of the League nowadays, yeah?"

"That's correct. Points for doing your research beforehand. Giran told me you were thorough."

"And you're saying I'll make a good bundle if I work for you guys? I'll tell you right now, I have no intentions of spouting some lies about joining for the greater good or belonging or any of that. I'd be in it for the cash and once that runs out, I'd be gone." Kaho said. "Not that I'd sell you guys out afterward. That's bad for business if people think you're a rat."

"Shigaraki…"

Kaho looked over at Kurogiri; the room felt filled with a surfacing sort of tension, and that was saying something with a group of hostile killers, illegal dealers, and villains in the room. Everyone in fact had their eyes trained on Shigaraki; Kaho herself could now see it in the way his body was trembling, but it was not in anxiety or anger. His eyes were still flashing, but it was in amusement; then out of nowhere, she heard his raspy laughter, soft and chilling her to the bone as he put his arms over his stomach.

"You're very blunt, aren't you Miss Dragon? You're the type who goes through the game looking for the bonus stages, anything to hit those extra points for the big jackpot. Well, who am I to judge? If that's really what you want, then fine; better to have someone who won't argue with me or refuse orders based on principles or morals."

"That does sound easiest." Kaho agreed. "You know what they say, money makes the world go 'round. Most people in my line of work don't have the motives or perspective your type do."

"Is that so? Then tell me," Shigaraki's laughter had stopped, his hands now hanging in front of him once more. "What do you mean by 'my type'?"

"Shigaraki, answer me one last question before I give you my own answer." One side of Kaho's lips curved to a light half smile. "I can't help wonder, just what is it you hope to gain from leading all these people. In your lingo, what's your endgame, so to speak?"

"Ah, since you asked so politely, I'll oblige your question. I think it will give you a better idea of just what other prizes you could win." Shigaraki told her with a hint of excitement; she could tell he was trying to sell her his offer and that despite his standoffish attitude in the beginning, he was more eager to have her at his disposal. "Don't you hate it how our soceity works with the emergence of pro heroes? You seem like a woman who sees the bigger picture, I'm sure you know a bit of what I'm referring to. You see it every day no doubt, people, tons of them, all going about their lives without a care in the world. But have you given thought to why that is? Why is that, when we live in a population where the majority of citizens have some sort of Quirk that could be used to the public at large? In that sort of environment, wouldn't you say these people would be more on their guard Miss Dragon?"

"Yes, I suppose you have a point. You never can tell half the time who has what kind of Quirk."

"Exactly! Oh it really pisses me off Miss Dragon; all these idiots, they have this illusion of peace because of heroes like All Might, heroes who they completely rely on to swoop in and save the day. The majority of these sheep have their own powers to use, but they won't do it; they all assume someone else will wipe up the mess, that a hero will come along to restore order. Isn't that stupid Miss Dragon? Why, if you went to a gathering of people and killed someone right there in broad daylight, would anyone actually come forward to help? Or would they keep walking, content in the idea they don't have to hold the responsibility on their shoulders...but hey, without a world of heroes, a world without All Might, who's to say society won't begin to right their own wrongs, take care of the dangers and crimes they see before them because they know when it comes down to it, they'd be better off-Miss Dragon? Ah, you see how silly it all is, don't you?"

Kaho's fangs peeking over her lips. "Something really bad must have happened to you, huh?"

Her smile was not mocking or unkind; it was the smile one might give a crying child as they fussed over a little matter like a bump or a scrap. It was gently patronizing. It was infuriating.

"Let me take a shot in the dark; you got screwed over and no one helped you, so now you're going to take it out on the world? Well, guess what? People already know how awful things are." Kaho chuckled. "Oh sure, there's some naive fools out there, but the vast majority of people all over the world realize that, at least to some extent, you can't rely on anyone. Not even heroes like the Symbol of Peace. But it's not like they can just spend their lives bitching and moaning like you do."

"You-"

"Tomura Shigaraki, stop!"

Kurogiri seemed to have moved at the speed of light; Shigaraki's hand was splayed, just inches away from Kaho's face, but his whole body was being constricted by his comrades's Quirk; a few seconds more, and his pointer and middle finger would be dug into her eyes. She looked around the room briefly, but no one else was making a move to attack her; she supposed they were more obedient to Shigaraki than she presumed. Kaho had been fully ready to have to fight them off to escape after shooting her mouth off; in hindsight, she should have just politely rejected the offer and been on her way, but she was losing her patience the more he spoke.

"Thanks for considering me, but I make enough money on my own; besides, I don't need the pros cracking down on me if I join up with you. At any rate, I don't want to work under someone who acts so high and mighty when your goals aren't too different than any street gangs. I'm not sure how long I could listen to how you preach as if you knew so much about the way the world works." Kaho told Shigaraki as he struggled to free himself from Kurogiri's portal; his eyes promised if he could, he would disintegrate her in seconds. "Look, it's your life. If I were you, I'd just try not to spend it so miserable about things you can't change. It's a lot nicer that way."

"Hey, what the hell?" Giran didn't look particularly phased, but he did seem mildly miffed. "It was bad enough there was almost a scuffle the last time I brought in recruits, but you just have to piss off one of my best associates?"

"If he's not the complete child he seems, I'm sure Shigaraki won't hold my conduct against you. He's lucky I didn't decide to kiss him." Kaho looked to Kurogiri. "I've got a job in an hour. If that's all, may I be on my way?"

"It would be best."

"Dammit Kurogiri, let me go now! I don't care, I'll crush her myself!"

"I'm going, I'm going. Good luck Shigaraki; it was a pleasure meeting you all." Kaho waved her hand to the room before striding out the door.

"Kurogiri-!"

"Tomura Shigaraki, you must be more mindful of how you present yourself in front of your subordinates." Kurogiri whispered in what would have been a calming tone if his voice was not so subtly sinister; still, the advice was apparently passable for Shigaraki. He had in fact already ceased his movement and even remained still once Kurogiri deactivated his Quirk and returned to his post behind the bar.

"What the hell did that scale covered money grubber mean anyway?"

"Huh? Oh, you mean that kiss bit." Giran chuckled. "Sometimes Kaho likes to use a special sneak attack; that Dragon Breath can turn you to ash inside out. I'm just glad to have not seen it for myself."

"Whatever. I'm turning in. Kurogiri, pay Giran for his tip off."

No one bothered to convince him to stay at the bar; Shigaraki had clearly had murder in his eyes and if not for Kurogiri's interference, would have killed Kaho without a second thought. But then, how did they expect him to react to such impudence? And from a lowlife like her who was no better than any of them.

Shigaraki slammed his door closed behind him; his hands launched forward, tossing items like books and paper every which way from his desk, his sheets and pillow flung off the bed, and even his own alarm clock turned to dust before he had gotten truly calmed down. Each destroyed object was a body part; her slender hand, her taut leg, her curved torso, her heart shaped face, all turned to little more than remains, less than that even.

 _"Who does she think she is, talking to me like like that? How dare that-that-!"_

Shigaraki stood in the middle of his room, breathing hard and shallow as he pictured her simple, mild smile as she spoke the bare bones truth. It was not the first time someone had picked apart his motives. But it was the first time anyone had hit so close to home, and that someone was a common gun for hire, a woman who cared for no one and nothing but her own welfare, much like everyone else in the world. It made hate burn inside him like flames, this hot and intense hostility at the idea that such a person could see right through him.

 _"I think I'll take a quick side quest."_


	2. Chapter 2

"I can't believe it. Are you fuckin' serious?!"

"Sorry." Kaho shrugged her shoulders and leaned against the alley wall. "Could we make this quick? It smells in here."

"Funny, I'm smelling bullshit!" her client looked ready to bust a vein.

"Keep it down. You should know even the darkest corners aren't always safe from the light…" Kaho's eyes briefly scanned the sky and the openings of the alley.

"What the hell does that mean?"

"It means, pro heroes can pop up when you least expect to ruin business. So I'd appreciate some discretion."

"You're screwing up business." the man accused, though he kept his voice low. "What the hell Dragon Lady, did I not give you what you felt you were owed?"

"As a matter of fact, the pricing was a bit less than I would have liked."

He grit his teeth. "Fine. I'll pay you double, just get the job done and do it right."

"Sorry, but I've already picked up another contract. I'd suggest finding someone else." Kaho swiftly stuffed the envelope of cash into the man's coat pocket. "You understand, right? It's just-"

"Good business, yeah, sure. Just give me better notice next time, will you? I need this guy dead before they change up the will again."

Kaho nodded and wordlessly walked off, making sure to blend into the night crowd with ease; it was funny how the man always avoided mentioning how this target was his own flesh and blood father.

 _"He already has so much money, but he just wants more and more. Not that I can talk."_

"Hey, Ryu-chan!"

"Hey, do you mind?"

Kaho frowned as a bubbly woman flounced over to her; the miniskirt she wore barely covered her panties, and her top, while covering most of her skin, stretched tight around her chest.

"Aw, don't be like that."

Kaho frowned more deeply as an arm linked inside her own so it almost looked like she was escorting the shorter girl down the congested sidewalk; a couple people got the wrong idea and whistled at them.

"You do realize I'm trying to not draw attention to myself, right Kumiko?"

While she replied to the name, Kumiko was not actually the proper address; like Kaho, this woman also went by a fake name for her work.

"Oh come on, everyone in this area won't bat an eye to a whore walking around with a mercenary."

"You're not a whore. And I'm not a exactly a mercenary. It's more an odd job than anything else."

"Right." Kumiko rolled her eyes. "You need to loosen up. Whatever you call me, I at least enjoy my work."

"Who says I don't?"

"Me. And it's true."

"It's work. I don't feel one way or the other to be honest." Kaho told her as they strolled past the building advertising gambling, x-rated attractions, booze, and just anything a degenerate could want for a good time so late at night. Normally Kaho would be partaking in some revelry herself, but her funds were a tad lower than she would like, and she didn't quite feel in the mood for festivities.

"They had a kid, didn't they?"

Kaho slowed her pace and but kept her gaze forward. "Kumiko, the 'kid' was a grown man who wanted their rich father dead before he could turn over the majority of his estate and finances to his grandchildren, who by the way the son doesn't bother to support." she ruffled Kumiko's carefully crafted hairdo. "You know, some days your profession doesn't sound so bad. If I wasn't so rough and scaly, I might be able to pull it off."

"You're not that bad. It's mostly on your arms and back, right? And your thighs."

"How the hell would you know?"

"And also," Kumiko winked. "I was right."

"About what?"

Kumiko pursed her rosy lips. "Don't act dumb Ryu-chan; you totally dropped that client because of the whole grandkids thing."

"I received a request from another client. The son was a cheapskate, I should have pushed for more before I even decided to look into it."

"Oh Ryu-chan, don't you ever think about anything else?"

"Do you ever think about keeping your legs closed?"

"You're awful! I happen to have a perfectly healthy sex drive, unlike some people, and if I can make more in one day than most people make in a week-"

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry." Kaho sighed heavily as Kumiko fixed her with an honestly insulted glare. "I'm sorry, really. I just haven't been feeling so well."

"Are you sick?"

"No. Just on edge."

Kumiko snuggled up closer to Kaho's side. "You're always so tense...I keep telling you, I give great massages-"

"Five feet."

"Oh Ryu-chan, I didn't mean-"

"Five. Feet. And I'm pretty sure you just hang off me for my money." Kaho held up her wallet in her hand with a crooked smile. Komuki jumped slightly and checker her own, now empty purse.

"Nice try, but you might want to work on not feeling up your target's behind while you pick their pocket. The point is to not let them know where your hands are."

"Oops. Nothing gets by you Ryu-chan." Kumiko put her hands behind her back and looked up at the other woman, biting her lip and making it redder, which was her intention no doubt.

"You know it. Now buzz off."

Kumiko pouted but still maintained an odd look in her eyes; she kept her gaze on Kaho, even as her companions stare grew increasingly hard.

"What is it?"

"Nothing. Just thinking how nice you are."

"If you like me so much, stop trying to rob me blind."

"Well, it's not like I always plan on it." Kumiko defended. "Sometimes it's just to touch your butt."

Kaho refrained from grumbling to herself as the older girl flounced back to her station with a girlish giggle. She supposed Kumiko was street smart in her own right, but it was still grating how she tried to goad Kaho and press the issues she didn't want to discuss every time they met; still, it was that surprising perception that made her feel so see through.

The new job wasn't a lie; normally Kaho would have many clients lined up, or at the very least a few who could always be counted on to need her services should she be hitting a rough patch in her bank account. She felt some pride that even without her Quirk, she was a capable enough killer, but the Dragon Breath gave her a certain edge. But maybe the best perk of hiring her was that she knew how to keep a secret; Kaho knew quite a few in the business of dealing and guns for hire who would blab the second the pressure was on or if they had a few too many drinks in their system. Perhaps her tight lipped ways were only strengthened due to her own record of keeping certain matters under wraps.

Still, Kumiko was one of the few who could pick up on the subtle hints; it helped reel in customers. She always seemed to know just what they needed in a woman before they even approached her; Kaho herself had to admit she was dead on when her friend suggested she wasn't feeling quite well. As of late, Kaho had the strangest prickling feeling on the back of her neck that made her twice as paranoid and twitchy than she was on a regular basis; usually this meant she might be being tracked or watched, but the issue was, every time she tried to scope out the perpetrator, there was no one suspicious in sight.

Kaho reasoned it must not be such a bad thing at any rate. Many contractors got a bit cagey at some point; it was only a matter of time until she started developing the same symptoms of the veterans. If anything, it would be better to be more alert and ready to jump to action. Better be safe than sorry; even her strength didn't make her immune to bullets.

"Maybe I am in the wrong line of work...but it's not like I can switch up careers at this point." Kaho drew herself a bath the moment she got home before she did anything else, except lock all the bolts on her apartments front door. She didn't see the point of buying a house, even if she could manage it; it had been just her for a long time, so a place with more than one bed and bathroom just seemed unnecessary. At any rate, it let her save up more money for other pursuits or emergencies when work was slow.

"I am good at it. I always had good aim." Kaho recalled all the years spent training with her Dragon Breath, how she was so careful each time she took a deep breath or even when her breathing became too labored. For years she had been ashamed at the thought of burning anyone. "Look at me now. A woman for hire who talks to herself and gets groped by a prostitute with sticky fingers."

It occurred to her that perhaps if she had agreed to joining the League of Villains, she could earn more with less hassle.

"No chance. Who knows what that man and his henchman are planning. And at least I can pick who I accept as targets."

Kaho undid her robe and slide down into the steaming water; the patches of scales littering her skin could get dry in the winter weather and make her itchy. Soaking in the water always made her feel more relaxed, even if she was careful to keep a loaded gun next to the tub. It gave Kaho a measure of security knowing it was right there and ready to grab in an instant if needed; she leaned her head back and sighed softly.

"I wonder just what is dogging that man to act so hateful. It's sad how that sort of thing screws people up…"

Kaho closed her eyes and tried to block out her own ramblings, internally and speaking aloud; part of her wondered if Kumiko had some sort of point when it came to the matter of her self imposed solitude. Not that she planned on going out and rubbing up against anyone in the right vicinity, but it had been quite some time since she could call anyone a friend; even Kumiko, who for the most part was harmless, was kept at arm's length. That being said, her choice of employment meant a few key things: for one, people too close to her could be put at risk. Secondly, the kind of people Kaho would appreciate as friends would not fit into her world; that was just unavoidable. Normal, well adjusted people were hard enough to come by in everyday life for her, but she herself was hard pressed to be inclined to act in a way that would be acceptable to the general public.

In truth, Kaho really didn't mind her work; most of her targets were people who frankly had it coming, and since she was a freelancer of sorts, she could pick and choose at her own risk. She tried not to think too hard on why it was so easy for her to even do in the first place, but she was good at it and it put food on the table; a woman with little to no education from her background could hardly be an office lady at this stage in her life.

Still, even the hardest hearts in the business tended to have standards; men in particular had qualms about killing women and children, even if they did have it coming. In Kaho's case, if she knew there was a child depending on that person to be alive, she would flake; she counted herself fortunate she could afford to do this most days. Most clients wouldn't hold it against her; since she was a woman, many would have thought it stranger if she didn't have a hang up when it came to children, so this served to her advantage.

"So, this is where she lives. What a dump."

Shigaraki scoffed and lowered his binoculars; Kurogiri was turned away from the window to Kaho's apartment on his leader's command.

"She's such a hypocrite too."

"Shigaraki?"

"We're leaving now. I've gathered enough information to move on to the next step."

"If I may," Kurogiri turned around to face him. "Don't you think it would be best to put our focus back on recruitmenting? We need to keep moving forward-"

"I haven't forgotten Kurogiri. This is simply a side quest after all; call it a brief detour. Trust me when I say this matter will be settled with little to no effort on our part."

Kurogiri chose to let the subject drop; Shigaraki had begun to claw at his neck ever since they began their day trip. In fact, he couldn't help notice that everyday his leader's neck was covered in scratch marks as of late, as though his mood was being constantly agitated. From what he could gather, Shigaraki was planning revenge for Kaho's slight, but he couldn't imagine how he was actually going to execute it. It hadn't been too difficult to get some of her personal information; they bought a few tidbits from Giran, had basically stolen all the other tidbits, had collected any newspaper that mentioned her alias, and gotten their hands on any photographs they could find. Kaho Ryu herself was not too well documented, but they got the gist of who she was and what she did, so Kurogiri didn't see why it was necessary to follow her around and track her movements throughout the day when they already had her address.

Whenever Kurogiri attempted to pry into Shigaraki's reasoning, he was swiftly shut down and glared at coldly until he clammed right back up; his charge's behavior was disturbing. Ever since All for One's defeat, Shigaraki had been slowly coming to terms with the role he was groomed for and had begun to act accordingly, his moods becoming less likely to be thrown into a tempest of childish rage and frustration.

"Kurogiri, get us out of here."

"Yes."

They left in complete silence, the warp gate opening up to the floor of the bar within seconds; there were so many inquiries Kurogiri wished to say aloud, but as Shigaraki immediately went off to his quarters, he knew it would be best to leave him be. There was no need for putting him in a fouler mood, especially since Shigaraki was already dead set on whatever it was he had planned; he had enough to arrange himself. He only hoped his charge would not put his side quest before their main objectives.

Shigaraki laid on his stomach, cutting out Kaho's pictures from each article; it wasn't so easy, since doing so required him to keep one finger off the handle, though he still managed to cut straight enough.

 _"Kaho Ryu...how fitting. Was she named before or after her Quirk was discovered?"_ he smiled as he used his fingers to destroy the remains of the paper. _"I bet that whore doesn't even know her full name."_

He tried very hard not to think too hard on how Kaho had spurned him so thoughtlessly but was perfectly willing to hang around such questionable characters; it really made him irked that she had been so quick to tear him down for what he would say was very rational ideas.

 _"Maybe Miss Dragon doesn't want to admit it, but there's a line she won't cross; she's just as deluded as the heroes...still, she isn't completely hopeless. It would seem Miss Dragon needs someone to educate her-shit."_

Shigaraki looked at the glue stick in his hand, the substance was nearly gone and used up; he would need to run to the store for more soon, though he really didn't feel like going anywhere else at the moment. In fact, he rather felt like taking a bath; he found himself wondering how the bubbles in the hot bath Kaho had drawn for herself felt, which led to the subject of the rough texture of her scaly patches. Despite what Kurogiri might have thought, he had not known she would be in such a state once they reached her dwelling, the only window available to peek through a small gap in the curtains being the bathroom; as he began preparing his own bath, Shigaraki shook his head and took the hand off his face.

 _"That was cheating…"_


	3. Chapter 3

Kaho picked at one of her scales.

"Ew, stop doing that." Kumiko turned pale and stopped drinking her shake.

"I can't help it. Sometimes they need to come off."

"Don't do it in front of me!"

"I bet that's the first time you've ever said that."

Kumiko peered over at the skin on Kaho's elbow; the scales seemed to blend seamlessly into her otherwise normal skin. "Does it hurt?"

"No."

"Why does it change color?"

Kaho looked up from her hamburger with a puzzled expression. "Do they?"

"Yeah, they totally do Ryu-chan." Kumiko made a face. "You know, it's usually considered bad etiquette to do things like pick at your skin or your nose and stuff on a first date."

"This isn't a date." Kaho sipped her soft drink. "Do your dates normally take you to fast food joints with broken toilets and sticky floors?"

"No, their hotel rooms." Kumiko answered casually.

"I really don't think those count as dates."

"Just because I don't waste time, doesn't mean I shouldn't be taken seriously Ryu-chan." Kumiko huffed.

"Still, if all they want to do is get you in bed before anything else, why bother?"

"Well, if they're good looking and I have protection, why not?"

"For one they could be dangerous." Kaho said with a faint air of a disapproving nanny. "Personally, I can't see myself just hopping into the sheets before I even know their last name."

"I don't do that! Sometimes it's against a wall. Or in the shower."

"How careless of me not to take that into consideration."

Kumiko stuck out her tongue. "I sure as heck won't take your advice; you've never been on a date at all. I don't know how you can stand it, I'd go crazy!"

"I get by just fine." Kaho brushed off a few dead flakes of her scales; she supposed she could say she was shedding, though she had never actually gone to a specialist to find out. All Kaho knew was that the patches would dry up and begin loosening and changing color from a bright, shining silver like the color of a mullet fish, to a dull grey.

"Maybe your Quirk is suited better for a snake. Your eyes look creepy like one."

"I know your Quirk is suited to you." Kaho drawled.

"Super flexibility could have helped with plenty of other stuff; I could have been a gymnast or a yoga expert." Kumiko informed her proudly. "I just prefer this lifestyle for now."

"Sure, sure. How's school going?"

"Fine, but some of the classes are sooo boring." Kumiko sighed dramatically as she stirred her half melted shake. "I wish you were taking courses with me...we could roleplay as teacher and student when one of the rooms are empty."

"I'm not qualified to be a teacher if you haven't noticed. Also, no." Kaho said dryly as she dipped a fry into Kumiko's shake.

"Ew. How can you eat your fries like that?"

"I bought them, didn't I?"

Kumiko leaned over the table and took on end of her ponytail in her hand; her hair was curled like a soft serve ice cream cone and the scent of her lip gloss was just as sweet. If Kaho didn't know better, she would have assumed Kumiko really was treating her invitation to lunch as a date; her friend was much more relaxed about using her charms and looks to score free food, drinks, even drugs should the opportunity strike. If nothing else, Kaho admired her bold tenacity.

"Why do you always eat stuff like this anyway? You know it's murder on your pores." Kumiko remarked as she watched Kaho stuff the rest of her greasy burger into her mouth. "Don't you make enough to go to real restaurants?"

"Is someone trying to gage how much I have in my wallet? Or were you hoping we were going somewhere uptown?" Kaho raised an eyebrow with a knowing smile.

Kumiko pouted her lips. "Is it too much to ask for a little romance? It's hard to set a mood in a place like this."

"Especially when there's no mood to set up." Kaho said lightly. "Besides, this food isn't so bad if you pace yourself and don't go crazy; plus you can collect the toys."

"...you are so weird Ryu-chan."

"Isn't that why you like me so much?"

Kumiko nodded and put her chin in her hands with a babydoll smile. "And you invited me out, so you must like me."

"You were free. I figured I might as well eat with company."

Kaho restrained an amused smile as Kumiko sulked and turned her head like a spoiled child; she knew this sort of act was the kind many clients went crazy over, but to her it was more funny since it was all too obvious just what she was up to.

"You should get colored contacts."

Kaho slipped the plastic toy in her bag. "Why?"

"They make you look intimidating."

"Good."

"Isn't it better not to stand out?"

"In my line of work, we get all types of weirdos running jobs. Most people nowadays can have animal like eyes anyway, so I don't see how I would stand out."

"Well, I guess not...but they do catch the eye." Kumiko squirmed in what must have been meant to be a cute way in her seat. "I always wanted to sleep with someone with a wilder look like yours."

"I'm flattered." Kaho smirked lazily. "Well, I've got an appointment. Here, in case you want some real food."

"Aw, thank you Ryu-chan. Oh and here."

"What is this?" Kaho was handed a small change purse; from the slight weight to it, there seemed to be something inside.

"Don't open it until later, okay? I'm just paying my dues and helping you live a little."

"With what I just forked over, you should be giving me a few hundred tiny bags."

Kumiko's eyes grew wide when she saw the amount on the bill still clutched in her grip; she looked back up just as Kaho was halfway out the door. "I knew you liked me!"

 _"She is way too sure of herself."_ Kaho waved back and rolled her eyes with an fond smile as she put away the surprise gift in her bag.

Kumiko would never quite say it out loud, but whenever Kaho saw her and reported that, yes, she was still single and not interested in anyone in particular, she seemed a bit too eager to chat her up. In fact, despite her complaining how boring a life of a single woman must be, she never pressed very hard for Kaho to 'get laid' as she put it or try to set her up with the many people she was acquainted who knew how to have a good time.

In fact, Kaho had never actually met any of Kumiko's friends from school or her fellow sex workers; whenever she did spot the older woman with a other people, she always managed to drag Kaho away to a private corner or outside the building to talk. She figured part of it might be because Kaho was young and pretty for her all her physical oddities; Kumiko told her that many would find her reptilian features a kink of sorts, but Kaho wasn't so sure. Kumiko's rubber like body was certainly a perk for the career path she had chosen, at least until she finished her physical education courses and could become a licensed yogi.

It had occurred to Kaho that a day would come when she wouldn't see Kumiko around her usually haunts.

 _"Ah well. I'm sure she'll find it'll be alot easier to go into a more reputable service. Not to mention she'll get to stare at people in tight clothes all day while they bend and twist and all….now that I stop to think, is she only doing it for that?"_

"Watch out below!"

"What the-Ryoto, get down from there!"

Kaho couldn't help stare in abject horror as her brother hung by his hands from a light pole; before she could reprimand him further, he spread his leathery wings and dived for her, tossing a paper crane down so it floated to her in the breeze he had whipped up.

"What do you think? We learned how to make them in school today!"

"Ryoto, I said get down."

Ryoto frowned and slowly lowered his body until the bottoms of his sneakers touched the sidewalk.

"And pick up that crane."

"Okay, okay."

"Don't give me that tone. How many times have I told you not to fly around like this? Where's Granny Mei?"

"She said I could go visit you. She wanted to come, but her knees are acting up again."

"Well, fine, but you could have called me. Are you hungry? I don't have much at home." Kaho took his hand and made Ryoto walk next to her.

"I'm not hungry. Do you want the crane I made?"

"Sure."

Kaho smiled down at him as they weaved through the crowd to reach her apartment complex; he barely came to her thigh, yet he was capable of soaring yards above her and then some. "I guess this was meant to be. I was going to stop by tonight before work to give you the rent."

"Do you have to work?"

"Where do you think money comes from?"

Ryoto shrugged. "Can't you take off the night so you can come for dinner?"

"Sorry, but I can't skip this appointment. Next time I visit, I'll take you to the zoo."

"The zoo? Can we get a tiger?"

"No, that's illegal." Kaho almost wanted to laugh at her own hypocrisy; but then, her activities were for a different purpose than obtaining a cool pet.

"What did you do today?"

"I worked this morning, then I had lunch with a friend; I brought you one of those toys you've been collecting." Kaho unlocked her door and let Ryoto inside first. "Take off your shoes and sit in the living room."

"Can I play one of my games?"

"Did Granny Mei say you could?"

"Yes." Ryoto said glumly. "I got off punishment last week."

"Alright then, but I'm calling her later to make sure."

Ryoto nodded and began setting up his game console to the television without even really needing to look at which wires connected to what outlets; Kaho knew he was being truthful about his sentence being over. Ryoto wasn't dishonest, one of the few traits Kaho had unknowingly passed on to him, though he did tend to disobey when there was something he really wanted to do. Often Ryoto would do the exact opposite of what he was told, though once caught, he always showed regret and promised to do better next time.

The issue was, her brother seldom seemed to actually learn his lesson; Kaho sincerely hoped his rebellious streak wouldn't get worse with age. She tried very hard not to spoil him, and their grandmother did her best to keep watch over Ryoto, who for the most part was the apple of her eye; the feeling was mutual, so Ryoto often took pains to make up for any mistakes on his part and treated her not unlike his actual mother. If there was one thing Kaho was grateful for, it was that her could never remember any things being any other way.

"Can I get my toy from your purse?" Ryoto called over the TV's volume; Kaho was hurriedly rinsing off one of her knives in the sink; she had left it on the counter hours before, already running late to lunch and too tired to do the usual cleaning.

"Sure, and see if you can find the envelope with Granny's money, okay? Inside is a check that has her address and name on it.

"Found it-oh cool, a Kamui Woods figurine!" Ryoto was just a few figures away from all the toys in the fast food chain's line up. "Kaho, look!"

"Give me a minute." Kaho made sure to not leave any traces of blood in the sink or the counter.

"He's my favorite!" Ryoto's eyes went to the shiny coin purse; he pried the clasps open just as Kaho came back to the living room.

"Ryoto, don't just look through my things!" Kaho grabbed the purse from his hand.

"Sorry...I was just curious."

"Curiosity killed the cat."

Ryoto shrugged. "So, can you tell me what's inside? That purse smells like flowers."

Kaho frowned and sniffed; it did indeed smell just like the fragrance Kumiko favored so much. After a moment, she decided to open her surprise.

"What is it? Can I see?" Ryoto leaned forward but didn't quite peek over into the bag's contents.

"Makeup?" Kaho rolled her eyes as she held the tubes of lipstick in her palm. "That's just like her."

"Why did you friend give you makeup?"

"She thinks I need to make more of an effort to look presentable." Kaho shook her head and sighed. "She means well...I would hope."

"Granny Mei says she only ever wore makeup in that picture."

Kaho looked puzzled. "Do you mean the one from her wedding?"

"Yeah. She has on that stuff." Ryoto shifted in his seat and made his wings press flat between hi shoulder blades as he grabbed his game controller; their grandmother had sewn in gaps to all his clothes just so he could allow his wings to breathe. Kaho used to be a bit envious; the power of flight would have come in handy on many of her jobs, but then, this was she was more on her toes. Wings would look too inconspicuous anyhow.

"Are you getting married?"

Kaho looked down at Ryoto; his face was completely serious and he had yet to press the play button to begin his saved level.

"No. What makes you think that?"

"Girls only wear lipstick when they get married."

Kaho shook her head. "Girls wear makeup other times too Ryoto. I don't wear it at all, but lots of women my age do and they're not married."

"Oh. So you're not getting married?"

"No, I'm not."

"Why?"

"Because I'm not in love with anyone."

"Why?"

"I'm just not." Kaho chuckled. "Where's all this coming from? Has Granny been talking about setting me up with that guy who greenlights her articles again?"

"Aren't you lonely?"

"No. Besides, you shouldn't get married because you're lonely; and don't listen to Granny Mei, I am perfectly safe living here alone."

"Yeah, you can burn people up!"

"Ryoto." Kaho sent him a warning look. "We don't use Quirks to hurt people."

"But if they tried to hurt you-"

"Then defend yourself, but don't go overboard. If someone tried to hurt you, what do you do?"

"Fly away and find an adult or policeman."

"Exactly."

"Kaho, did mom or dad have wings?"

"I don't remember."

Ryoto picked at the patch of scales on his right cheek; Kaho wondered how he hadn't gotten the same eyes. His were dark, nearly black, but they were completely not snake-like. Kaho was glad, since often he had a very straight poker face in public; she was certain his classmates would be unnerved if he possessed her stare.

"When will you visit again?"

"Soon." Kaho picked up the second controller.

"When's soon?"

"When I get time off work. I have to prepare for my appointment as soon as I drop you off at Granny's."

"Fine."

"Ryoto, please understand-"

"You're never around. Why do you have to work all the time?"

"I need to make money. Look, when have I ever broken a promise?"

"...never."

"So I promise as soon as I get some free time, I'm headed straight to you. I'll even pick you up at school sometime."

"Okay." Ryoto gave her a big grin; his fangs had already grown out, little sharp canines in his otherwise straight teeth. Kaho was envious of this too, as her teeth had always been a tad too crooked for her liking.

 _"Still..."_

Kaho ruffled his hair before pressing the start button; Ryoto spent the rest of their time together beating her avatar to a pulp.

"Kaho, are you even trying?"

"I am!"

"Maybe we should find another game." Ryoto grinned. "I'd say a first person shooter, but then I'd just blast you to level one."

 _"It means everything to see you smile so freely...to see you do the things I can't and watch as you become a better person than I ever could be…"_

Kaho stuck out her tongue for a second, making Ryoto laughed wildly before starting a new game; he always felt triumph in getting his sister to make an expression other than tired or stern. Kaho knew he could sense a rift between them and the confusion he felt whenever he attempted to get closer. For everything Kaho did to ensure food was on the table, that he was being cared for, and even these rare moments she would get down on his level to play a simple fighting game, there just seemed to be this distance they couldn't quite bridge.

For now, Ryoto was learning to be patient and Kaho would do what she could to indulge him as much as she could allow herself.

 _"I am sorry...I can't tell you how sorry I am..."_


	4. Chapter 4

Giran explained to Shigaraki that Kaho had been a diamond in the rough of sorts from the start; even at the tender age of twelve, she had an unnaturally calm, even disposition and a cold outlook on the value of human life. Coupled with her quick aim and her Quirk, this put her in the market to make a name for herself.

But the first time he saw her, she was just a little kid clothed in a threadbare dress and begging for food and money on a street corner; he had heard from a client that while her mother regularly turned tricks and made decent enough cash, the lure of access to drugs was simply higher on her priority list than food or the light bill. Giran didn't think much of it as he handed Kaho some spare change and a knife; a young girl like her, even one with a dangerous Quirk, wouldn't last very long. It was a waste of change and a bowie knife, but he was feeling charitable.

Three years later, Kaho had come across him in the old neighborhood, as run down and full of shifty characters as ever. This time her slitted eyes held a hardness that hadn't been there before; she looked tense and fierce, but very much alive. The knife hung around her neck on a chain as she clutched a baby in both arms.

"So you took her in?"

"No way. I found her grandma; last living relative, had no idea what her daughter was gettin' up to." Giran let out a long drag from his cigarette; Shigaraki sat across from him at the bar, four fingers holding up his glass. "She left the brother with her and went with me."

Shigaraki's eyes narrowed and his fingers gripped the cup tighter as he glared.

"Whoa, hey now, don't go thinking I'm that kind of guy. First off, I'm not into scales. Second, I just needed her to help me run some small time dealings. A thin girl like her can slip in and out of places, not to mention the cops didn't give her a second glance."

Shigaraki's shoulders unstiffened and he sipped his drink. "So, where did all this gun toting come into play?"

"When she was fifteen. Or sixteen maybe. I had her learn how to use one for self defense purposes, but she really took to them. Next thing I know, she's out making some serious dough; before she went off on her own, she even paid me back the change I gave her." Giran chuckled and shook his head. "She always was too money conscious. But hey, I'm not complaining. Sometimes I even hire her myself."

Shigaraki allowed Giran to finish his smoke before asking more. "What happened to her mother?"

"Dead. Couldn't say how or when, but I'd guess it had something to do with her little brother. When I saw her again, he couldn't have been more than a few weeks old." Giran shrugged. "But hey, look where she is now; a regular rags to riches story. I made a good chunk of money off of her services myself. I can see why you're so keen to use her for your organization."

He smiled as Shigaraki passed over a thick envelope across the surface of the bar; before Shigaraki could even pull away his hand, Giran had the payment in his pocket.

"Hmph. I wonder where she got her money grubbing ways from."

"That's business." Giran paused and reached into his coat. "Oh here, I found this lying around. If you plan on meeting up with Dragon Lady, give her this back."

Shigaraki nodded wordlessly and took the small knife, the blade dulled somewhat from years gone past; he had gotten much more information than he had originally expected to get. The only thing he had requested of Giran was to tell him everything he knew about Dragon Lady; but the man was cooperative and Shigaraki was offering a particularly generous sum, though he was certain Kaho would be less than pleased.

" _Oh well, it's not like I need to tell her how I obtained all her data. No sense in getting a reliable resource entangled in my affairs anyway."_

Shigaraki fiddled with the retractable blade; he wondered how many people it had been used on. Kaho was lucky she had not come to more serious harm in her once vulnerable position.

 _"To think of the filth that might have put their hands on her…it's a wonder she escaped unscathed."_

It sounded like there was trash all around her; her trashy, poor excuse for a mother who likely died in a ditch somewhere and her trashy, so called friend who was just as loose and corrupted as anyone Shigaraki could see.

 _"And she has the nerve to talk down to me when she associates with garbage?"_

The time to strike was now. Everything needed was on hand and Shigaraki had the leverage he desired to put his trap into motion.

Kaho herself was up to actions about as sinister; she had just finished wrapping up a job and she was exhausted, yet unbeknownst to her, the target in question had more security than she had expected and the extensive use of her Dragon Breath was doing a number on her throat. Currently, she could feel the backs of her teeth were slightly dirty from soot. Once she was home, all Kaho really wanted to do was sit back and sleep, but she still needed to brush her teeth, do maintenance on her gun, and clean the dishes.

"Home at last." Kaho dumped her purse on the table and shed her boots, making sure they were on the carpet mat in front of the door; she knew she'd kick herself for making a bigger mess in her rush to get some rest. "Oh damn, I never called Granny Mei...well, it's not like Ryoto would lie to me."

"But you have no issue with lying to your little brother. Miss. Dragon, you are quite the hypocrite."

Before Kaho could raise her gun, she felt her arms being sucked away from her as a dark swirl of fog seemed to engulf her weapon and her forearms into nothingness.

"Pardon the intrusion, but there's nothing to fear. I have not actually taken off any limbs." Kurogiri came from the corner leading to the kitchen; indeed there was another small portal not too far from Kaho's line of sight. Her hands had simply been transported without the rest of her.

Shigaraki rose from his seat on her recliner and paused the game he was playing; Kaho noticed the sound was on mute.

"Shigaraki, did you restart the whole game?"

"I used the second controller to begin a new one as player two. Your little brother's score isn't erased." Shigaraki rasped, his voice condescendingly humorous. "But should that be your first worry right now?"

"That would depend."

"On?"

"How fast you can duck."

Shigaraki felt a white hot heat just miss his ear as he lunged forward; true to Kaho's skill in aim, his face might have been turned to a melted blob should he have moved a second slower.

"Oh my, but your flames seem a bit weaker than they once were. Are you that worn or are you trying to avoid killing me?"

"Why would I do that? Your butler here would just finish me off." Kaho asked wryly as Kurogiri plucked her gun from her hands without further ado; no matter how hard she tugged, she was effectively trapped.

"Smart girl. But your score was abysmal you know; work on gathering points in bonus games so you build up your power and agility levels. There's many special items you can unlock in the process."

"Hm, this lecture sounds familiar." Kaho remarked; she glared at Shigaraki as he pressed his palm to her cheek, his fingers barely hovering over the patch of scales. "So you know about my brother. I take it you've been keeping tabs on me."

"Something like that." Shigaraki chuckled. "Kurogiri, let her go."

"Tomura Shigaraki, I would not advise giving Ms. Ryu the use of her hands; she is still an exceptionally slippery combatant from what we just saw."

Kaho's eyes flickered with shock. "You two saw-how long have you been following me?"

"Long enough to know you're not the woman you pretend to be; while I have no doubt you wouldn't try to escape me and risk your flesh being turned to dust, I think you might have a different opinion if I...say had orders in place for one of my people to shoot Ryoto-kun in the head should I not return to base in half an hour?"

Kaho froze as Shigaraki leaned in to whisper low and hoarse in her ear.

"Or maybe that slut who keeps hanging off you? No, maybe she's too annoying to care that much for...how about Granny Mei? Who will be there to look after your dear Ryoto-kun if you and her die? I wonder just how the poor boy will react to know just what kind of person his big sister is….is that what's going through your head now Miss Dragon?"

"What do you want from me Shigaraki?"

He grinned behind his hand. "Not a moment's hesitation. But since you asked….I want payback. Come with us without a struggle and I promise your loved ones will be left in peace, none the wiser to what you've been up to and out of harm's way."

Kurogiri was able to transport them back to the League of Villains base of operations in a matter of seconds; Kaho was restrained and placed into a room made of concrete within ten minutes. She didn't struggle once, even as they left her alone in the windowless room.

"What else could I possibly do? They have my hands tied...quite literally." Kaho surveyed the confinement chamber; there were tiny camera in each corner on the ceiling. In front of her was a microphone of sorts. After what felt like a lifetime of tension and waiting, she heard a voice from seemingly nowhere.

"Ms. Ryu, this is Kurogiri. If you can hear my voice, please respond accordingly."

"I can." Kaho looked at the microphone dully. "I did what you asked. Is your boss determined to keep me here to drive me insane for my slight? Or am I meant to starve to death?"

"I would not know the exact nature of Tomura Shigaraki's plans. I simply follow his requests; I was told you inform you now that in addition to our comrades waiting in the wings to punish your family and friend for any retaliation on your part, this room is made completely of concrete. Your Quirk would prove ineffective for escape, so please be patient until Shigaraki is ready to speak with you himself."

"So sit tight and shut up?"

"If that's how you wish to put it."

Before Kaho could make another remark, a portal had materialized directly in front of where she sat; Shigaraki himself was stepping through. Kaho could still not clearly see his expression, but his eyes glittered with twisted glee.

"I bet you wished you had watched your mouth earlier now that I have you at my mercy. Ah, but where did that devil may care attitude go? You were going on and on about how all you really cared about was money like you were some sort of heartless gun for hire." Shigaraki reminded her mockingly as he scratched his collar. "That was so irritating...you're as delusional as the rest of them aren't you?"

"Rest of who?"

"Everyone. The people I hate the most. It was disappointing to see at first, but you know, we still have some things in common, don't we?"

Kaho scoffed. "I would hardly say we anything in common."

"Oh? Do you think you're better than me?"

"No." she answered truthfully. "If I gave you a false impression, it wasn't intentional. My motives for it aside, all I really want is to make as much money as I can. If my family knew how I paid for their bills, I more than certain they would be ashamed. So yes, maybe we are similar in the respect we will step over anyone to get what we want."

"Ah, ah, that's a lie." Shigaraki chided her like a child caught stealing. "What about that man who wanted his father done away with? I heard you talking to that whore, and seeing you with your brother is proof enough there are lines even you won't cross."

Kaho felt chills go down the back of her neck. "I knew my intuition wasn't wrong. But just how long have you been stalking me?"

"Stalking? I wouldn't go that far. A lot of the data I've managed to get my hands on was through good old fashioned research. Looky here, I even made up a new game."

Shigaraki took out a folded sheet from his pants pocket; he unfolded the creases and held it up for her inspection. It was a collage of photos of her. Kaho couldn't recognize the majority and surmised those were candid shots. The paper was littered with holes.

"I used darts; depending on the face I hit, I get a number of points. But now I managed to capture the final boss it would seem." Shigaraki crumpled the paper into a ball and tossed it aside carelessly. "As fun as this chat has been, I'm getting bored. Miss Dragon, if you apologize nicely for you earlier insults, then I might leave you alive. Hell, I could even just disintegrate an arm or part of your face. Possibly."

Kaho flinched as he crouched and put his fingers near her cheek once more.

"Or….you could hear me out."

Kaho's eyes narrowed. "Excuse me?"

"You see Miss Dragon, I believe you and I can come to an understanding if you weren't so stubborn to act like someone you're not. From what I've gathered, you too have come to see the way our society has been damaged by the hero profession. Rude as it was, you were not completely off the mark when you assessed my reasoning in our meeting; after all, you would know."

"You do not know a thing about me."

"I know you struggled for years to survive, begging for help when none was given."

"Sure, me and every other person in this world."

"Apathy runs rampant when people assume they don't need to take action themselves." Shigaraki continued heedless of her skeptical gaze. "But where was a great hero when you needed help? You had to pull yourself up by getting your own hands dirty and making other people suffer."

"I have no issue with killing to get what I want."

"Don't give me the ice queen act. You still have your limits. I would sincerely enjoy helping you rid yourself of such useless sentiments, but only if you're willing to listen. I think we can benefit a lot from cooperating with one another."

"I disagree."

Shigaraki's fingers twitched just centimeters from her skin. "Care to explain? Or do you plan on being difficult for no reason?"

"If you were smart, you'd realize joining you guys would take away your leverage. If I was a member of the League of Villains, I'd be drawing too much attention to myself; I'm a mercenary, and I do well because I don't go around attracting the law. On that note, I'd be putting my life at risk and that's the same as leaving my brother to starve."

Kaho held her breath as Shigaraki leaned in a tad closer, his eyes surveying her like she was a particularly odd looking insect.

"I'm curious. Just what happened to your mother?"

Kaho's expression went from frightened and tense to confused. "My...mother?"

"How did she die? I assume because you took your brother under custody when he was an infant she must have passed away shortly after giving birth. Complications? Or did you decide to spare Ryoto-kun from the same life you had and ran away with him in tow?"

"No, she is dead. I killed her."

Shigaraki blinked.

"She was going to sell Ryoto to some dealer whose wife wanted a kid. So I killed her and took Ryoto; you're right Shigaraki. It's been impossible to shake that one thing, the one hang up I just can't seem to get over; I'm not looking to be a hero. I wouldn't let someone like me even try it. But I take care of my own." Kaho sighed and shrugged her shoulders. "I told you, I don't have any big goals or grand schemes to change the world. I just do what I can; I won't pretend I'm right, but it feels right to me. I'm not looking to save anyone besides Ryoto."

"I see."

"Besides, if you ask me, you don't make any sense. I'd rather keep doing what I'm doing than join some league that's run by a miserable man who just wants to prove a point."

"And what do you think that point is?"

"That everyone else is as selfish and ugly as you. Maybe I'm no saint, but I won't get on board with that. And that All Might might be a tool, but he inspires people, not just to think the world can be a safe place, but that other people can do just as much good. All you are is a bitter little kid trapped in an insane adult's body. So go ahead and kill me; dead or in your ranks, I'm no use to anyone."

The only sound in the room for some time was shallow breathing and Kaho's pounding heart.

"You just wasted your last breath. Game over Miss Dragon."

His fingers brushed up against her cheek; the lines under around his eyes deepened and she could tell he was giving her a wicked, bloodthirsty grin.

"I think I'll start with that pretty face of yours...then I'll turn that smart mouth to ashes!"

 _"Ryoto...forgive me."_

Kaho felt cold fingers graze her cheek; one, two, three, four, and-

"...eh?"

Kaho refused to open her eyes to see her own decaying flesh.

"Hey. Die already."

The fingers prodded harder and then the whole hand was placed on her face. But try as she might, Kaho could not sense even an inkling of pain from the rough palm or the fingers laying flat on her scales.

 _"Wait. My...scales..."_


	5. Chapter 5

"What the hell is going on?"

Shigaraki drew his fingers away; before Kaho could give a response, he tore off the disembodied hand on his face. She nearly wretched at the sight of his lined skin and rabid eyes, now completely exposed along with bared teeth over chewed up lips. He snarled under his breath as he looked back and forth in an accusing way at his hands and her.

"What did you do?!"

"I didn't do a thing." Kaho answered with with an expression as confused as his was vehement; her eyes went wide as saucers as Shigaraki circled behind her and touched her bonds, making them decay instantly. Kaho didn't dare speak again as he craned his neck to look at her point blank; before she could react, he placed an almost tentative hand on her shoulder where a particularly large patch shined and melded into her skin. Once again, his Quirk had no effect.

"This hasn't happened before. Everything, everyone I've touched with all my fingers have been reduced to nothing. You don't even feel it..."

Shigaraki's hands were trembling violently as he slumped to the ground on his knees; Kaho fell back in fear, knocking over the chair and slamming her lower back into one of the legs as she fell with it, but the dull pain was easily ignored.

Kaho could hardly breathe. He had touched her with all five fingers and she was still intact; if Kaho didn't know any better, she would have thought the last minute was all in her head, brought on through hysteria at being so close to death.

 _"My scales...I'm alive. They saved my life."_

"Dammit, dammit, why didn't it work?!"

Kaho curled her legs inward to keep out of Shigaraki's reach as he slammed a fist into the ground.

 _"I might be speaking too soon."_

"Shigaraki, calm yourself."

Kaho was snapped from her stupor as the booming voice of Kurogiri filtered out of the speaker; Shigaraki on the other hand was not paying him any heed. His eyes were unfocused as he hyperventilated. To kaho's disgust, he began was at his neck, reopening the old healed over and marks; Kaho felt her stomach churn as she saw his nails dig deeper and deeper as he began to draw blood, the scabbed over lines being torn up by his frantic pressure.

"Hey-"

"Why? What the hell...what the hell is going on!?"

Shigaraki rasped and cursed and scratched harder; it was unnerving to see this man come undone, desperate for something to destroy.

"Hey, you-"

"Dammit, dammit, dammit!"

Her legs and arms moved on their own as Kaho threw herself to where he knelt, hands coming up to pry the fingers off his bloody neck.

"Stop it!"

Kaho felt a white hot burn and immediately pulled away, falling back on her behind with a weak cry; she held her hand in front of her eyes and saw the skin on her fingers and palms were just cracking. Shigaraki seemed to have come back to his senses; he bared his teeth and sneered down at her, paying no mind to his oozing scratches.

"What? What did you-?"

"No. Stop right there. Do _not_ look at me like I'm the one who was seconds away from ripping out their esophagus." Kaho hissed, pressing her hands into the cloth of her shirt to soak up the blood; her teeth nashed together as she fought off the horrible burning. "What's the matter with you anyway? You could have used your own Quirk on yourself and not even realized! And you call other people idiotic..."

"I see...it only works if I touch your skin."

"Thanks for the update. I figured that out once my face didn't start dissolving." Kaho smiled humorlessly through her pain, but the comment went in one ear and out the other. Shigaraki looked shaken.

"You're the idiotic one. You...reached out. Your hands are ruined."

Kaho gently lifted them to her face for a closer look. "I've seen worse. But if you feel generous, I would appreciate some rubbing alcohol and bandages to clean them. You might want to do the same for those gouge marks; it looks like a wild cat tried to tear out your throat."

Shigaraki leaned over, looking half dead as the backs of his hands dragged on the floor; his tousled hair fell in the strangely curious eyes. "The myths all say dragon's hide is supposed to be impenetrable, but I never guessed…"

"You're preaching to the choir. My scales can stand a knife, maybe even a long range bullet, but I never suspected they were this durable to withstand your decay Quirk." Kaho surveyed a shiny patch on her forearm; the corners of her lips turned up slightly. "So knowing this, I'm guessing your aim is going to be better next time?"

Shigaraki was staring at her face now.

"What's the matter?" Kaho frowned. "I'm not fond at the idea of death, but my decision still stands. If you have no intention of letting me go free, than you might as well finish the job. I'm no fool...I know when I'm at the end of my rope."

"You're funny."

Kaho's frown deepened as her mind worked to process these words; Shigaraki's lips cracked as he smiled coldly.

"You're talking to me so calmly, even though you realize your scales can't protect all of you."

"I've always expected that someday I would get on someone's bad side. Who knows how many loved ones of people I've killed have sworn revenge on me without even seeing my face. It's an occupational hazard to make enemies." Kaho chuckled self deprecatingly. "I really would be a hypocrite if I had the nerve to get furious with you for trying to kill me after all the jobs I've done."

"Why did you stop me?"

"What? I didn't try to stop you. You said yourself if struggled you would hurt my brother."

"You stopped me from-why did you do that?

Shigaraki's tone held more wary suspicion than outright malice or anger; he seemed to be as out of it as Kaho had been once she realized she had unwittingly prolonged her life, if only for a few minutes.

"Trust me, I wasn't planning to do you any favors." Kaho told him. "I just...moved. I suppose I panicked. It is a pretty gruesome sight."

"Haven't you seen enough? Some mercenary you are, to get a queasy stomach over some blood."

"I don't have to like it, do I?"

"You don't have to try to help someone who tried to kill you."

"My mistake."

"It was." Shigaraki stared her down before reaching for the microphone. "Kurogiri, get me and Miss Dragon out of here. I don't plan on killing her today. Something else seems to have come up."

Kaho almost laughed as the black mist appeared right in the middle of the room, a portal manifesting to take her home.

"What is do funny?"

"Shigaraki, don't tell me you feel some sense of honor for me helping you? That doesn't seem to be in line with what the League of Villains promotes."

"I assure you, there's no honor in what I have planned for you. But for now, I need to think. Just remember, if you have any thoughts of going after me or one of my own after you leave her, keep in mind I still know where to hit you the hardest."

Kaho's smile fell. "Where is my brother now?"

"At home from what Toga reported. Don't look so grave. He and your friend are perfectly safe for now."

"For now."

Shigaraki stooped over to pick up the hand forgotten on the floor; he put it back in place and his posture seemed to slack.

"What do you want from me?"

He seemed to consider this. "I'm not sure yet. But it's become apparent you're too useful to get rid of, Miss Dragon."

Kaho looked at the warp gate. "But for now I'm free to go?"

"Yes."

"And….you won't hurt my brother or anyone I know once I leave? You swear you won't involve them in our-"

Kaho paused; she couldn't rightly say what had just transpired. It was hardly a fight, yet it was not a meeting; she most definitely couldn't call it a chat or a visit. A draw seemed the most appropriate to the situation, but even that did not sound quite right either. Kaho knew that Shigaraki was the one with the upper hand; it was only through some whim she did not understand he decided to not kill, or at least maim, her then and there. A draw was for two equal parties who had paused the brawl, not for a psychopath who had a sudden change of heart. Whatever his thoughts were, Kaho would not let down her guard.

"Not a hair on their heads will be touched. Just don't try anything cute and I'll keep my word."

Kaho didn't move; Shigaraki stepped into the portal himself and looked back over his shoulder briefly before proceeding. Kaho sighed and slowly followed; perhaps she was still at a disadvantage, but at least enough time had past to the point her Quirk would nearly be at full strength, not to mention they would be somewhere with possibly flammable items.

 _"I could kill him...I might even be able to kill Kurogiri if I hit his actual person...no. His cronies will know it was me and then me and Ryoto, Granny, and Kumiko are goners. But if he's not going to get back at me now, then what will he do? Is he really just going to let me go for not letting him dissolve himself by accident? Shigaraki seems like the last person to show mercy, friend or foe...dammit. All I can do is wait."_

Fortunately for her, Shigaraki and her did go through one end of the portal and come out of it smack dab in the middle of the barroom floor. Kurogiri swiftly morphed behind the counter and began wiping down his glasses as if nothing had happened. Kaho admired his dedication to not only following his bosses orders, but keeping up with such menial labor.

"You realize you better be paying this man a fortune if you want to keep him around?" Kaho asked Shigaraki with a slight smile as she pointed her thumb over to Kurogiri. "I mean, seriously, how useful is that Quirk?"

"Very."

Shigarak had no comment, but his glare slide over to his subordinate in a silent reprimand; Kaho couldn't see what there was to be cross about. Suddenly, she had an idea and turned to smile at Shigaraki.

"So, since you're not going to do anything, at least for now…"

Kaho sung her legs to the side as she made herself comfortable on one of the bar stools.

"How about I buy you a shot? I know I could use a little nightcap to unwind. Kidnapping, death threats, skipping dinner, getting ambushed on a hit...it gets to a girl, you know?"

Kurogiri had stopped cleaning and Shigaraki's fingers ceased twitching; Kaho swiveled in her seat and gave a polite smile to Kurogiri.

"I'll buy whatever he usually has and-do you have plum sake?"

"...yes."

"Good." Kaho turned to look over her shoulder. "Shigaraki, you seem like you could use something to loosen up. Or can you not handle liquor at the moment?"

At this playful mockery, Shigaraki felt the blood pumping through his veins steadily again.

"Who said you could even stick around?"

Kaho ignored him and addressed Kurogiri. "You're the barman. May I? You two have nothing to worry about as far as me killing you. I know when my hands are tied. Truthfully, I'm a bit desperate for something to steady my own nerves." she gave Shigaraki a sly smile. "I mean, I did technically save you, didn't I? The least you could do is let me have a nip."

"Shigaraki, do you wish me to send her away to her home?"

Kaho rested her chin in her hand and waited with a pleasantly expectant look; Shigaraki was standing there and appearing a bit at a loss himself, mostly likely wondering what in hell she was up to.

"Miss Dragon, I'm beginning to think it was better you refused my offer. I don't think I could stand you for too long."

"So...no drink?"

Shigaraki pulled up a stool. "Kurogiri, the usual. And make it a double."


	6. Chapter 6

"You know, at first glance, you are not easy on the eyes."

"And you look like a lake monster."

Shigaraki held his shot glass by his pointer finger and thumb; as the hours wore on, he found himself accidentally disintegrating two. The last two shots Kaho had personally lifted to his lips to swallow down.

"Some people would tell you differently." Kaho said offhandedly as she took a precautionary sip of water.

"What, you're whore friend? I bet she'd give the time of day to anything with a-"

"She's not too particular, but she can at least afford to be picky. Unlike us." Kaho sighed and tucked her hair behind her ear. "I suppose not many people like the molting. That's not even mentioning I'm certain many would be hesitant if they knew I could burn them from the inside out."

"Do you kill many that way?"

"Only men I find exceptionally distasteful; the look on their faces is priceless." Kaho licked a drop of water from her lips; Shigaraki's tongue copied her movement as he let it slide across his own ragged bottom lip.

"Oh and then there's the whole mercenary thing. I don't blame anyone if they wanted to stay clear for that reasoning."

"From what I heard, you avoid people on purpose."

Kaho raised her eyebrows. "Honestly, how long were you surveying my activity?"

"A couple of weeks."

"The last time a man did that, he almost succeeded in killing me. He came closer than anyone else, but he made the mistake of thinking I couldn't melt metal. If he did his research as thoroughly as you, I'd be six feet under. Lucky for me, hm?"

"And why do you say that? I didn't say I was not planning to do away with you Miss Dragon."  
"I've never had the pleasure of drinking with my would be murderers. If you do manage to end my life, I can say it was a unique experience." Kaho remarked.

Shigaraki's eyes scanned her face. "Are you afraid to die?"

"Yes. It's a scary enough idea, but then there's the fact there's people waiting for me. I suppose you are right Shigaraki...if I killed without remorse and didn't pick and choose targets based on how well I can empathize with them, I might have more of a right to speak."

"First you just had standards, now you're remorseful?"

"I feel bad for targets who have children depending on them to survive. No, that's not right. I would feel remorse for their children, but you should already know my reasoning for that bias." Kaho silently thanked Kurogiri as he filled her sake cup to the brim. "I know I'm capable of mercy. I'm also very capable of hurting people without regret, even those I have nothing against. Even people I've found I liked. Which is why I can't hold what you did against you; I simply feel I have no right to that type of anger."

"Do you begrudge me for bringing your brother into the mix?"

"Not begrudge exactly. But if you hurt him before you killed me, I wouldn't be able to control myself from trying to pay you back. It's hard to keep up a certain mentality around people you love."

Shigaraki snorted. "Or you have a split personality. If you ask me, you're a fool for letting sentimentality get in the way."

"Maybe. But it hasn't blown up in my face yet. I've had a pretty good run."

"So you spare people in cases where you can still manage to feel empathy...so what's your excuse for trying to help me?"

"None."

Shigaraki put his cup down on the counter with a bang. "Don't play dumb with me. I hate when people think they can act as though they know something I'm incapable of grasping."

"I told you, I just moved; there wasn't much time for me to even think."

"You'll kill your own mother without a second thought but you'll help a stranger."

"She was a bitch and it was necessary."

Shigaraki ran a finger along the cool rim of his glass. "So what am I?"

"Someone who's actually more off their rocker than me." Kaho answered. "I don't know. So what if I'm not so keen to get attached to people? I feel bad enough someday Ryoto might figure out just what I do to put bread on the table. I'm not so cruel I'd lead someone on into thinking they could have a lasting relationship with me. I'm only that cold when money is involved."

"You're such a softie."

"I honestly can't say whether you're being sarcastic or not." Kaho blinked to focus her blurry vision. "Can you touch your own face?"

"What?"

"The skin is so dry, I assumed you would try to avoid touching your own face due to your Quirk."

"You're even worse when you're drunk."

"You can hold your drink pretty well actually." Kaho leaned forward just so to look at his face; there was no flush, no unfocused eyes, no loose tongued conversations. Shigaraki might have been a bit more talkative, but overall, she wouldn't be able to tell if he was sober or not.

"You obviously can't." Shigaraki said dryly. "I would have assumed you'd be out nights with that friend of yours."

"Kumiko? Come on, I'm sure you know her name by now if you've been listening in on us." Kaho gulped down some sake. "But no, I don't normally do this with her or anyone else really. I have to say, I admire people like her on some level; every night's a party, no thoughts on the worst aspects of life...I'm envious really. Maybe there's more to her profession than mine…"

"Are you planning on turning in your gun and trading it in for a get up like hers?"

"No, no. Even if I was on the market, I can't quite imagine just being with anyone, no matter how cute they were." Kaho smiled almost bashfully. "By the way, do you really think I'm pretty?"

Shigaraki nearly snorted his drink, but thankfully somehow narrowly avoided burning his nostrils as Kaho have him a look that could only be described as coy.

"What?" she said defensively. "Remember when you said you were going to kill me? You said you might start by melting off my 'pretty face'."

"You sure are loose with your tongue now…"

"What? I don't mind. You're not bad looking yourself; honestly, you might even be cute in your own sort of way, but that just makes you more unique, ya know?"

Shigaraki slowly turned to face her. "You really are bad at this, aren't you Miss Dragon?"

"And stop with that. Honestly, you already know what my name is." Kaho rolled her eyes and patted her reddened cheeks. "Hm...this is fun. Probably the most I've had in some time. But still….I don't get you very well at all. But I think I realize why I was so quick to make you stop hurting yourself."

Shigaraki stayed absolutely silent; as the night wore on, Kaho's speech became more and more like ramblings, but as she talked, he noticed she was absolutely more candid. For reasons he didn't care to think about, he stayed quiet and listened to hear more.

"You're a bit like Ryoto. Just a little bit. You get upset easily and you like video games, and you don't like to listen to anyone if you can help it." Kaho nearly grinned. "Yeah...I guess that's why. Somehow, you reminded me...I know it's a bit of a sorry excuse, but it's really the only reason I can think of. It's why I killed her...she wanted to ruin his life too...I couldn't stand it, thinking he'd be anything like me. So I...I wanted to do something good. I wanted to save him, even though there wasn't anyone to save me. Maybe that's why heroes do that. Maybe a lot of them know...they know what it feels like to want someone to save them, so they try to do better next time around."

Kaho chuckled and shook her hazy head, putting down her shot. "I know what you must be thinking, you don't have to say it. I know I must sound like a complete idiot. Maybe it's because I'm not so right in the head anymore. But seeing you hurt yourself like that...it felt wrong. My stomach felt like it was in knots and I was so scared already to die. I knew you wanted me dead...but I...if I only had so much time left, why not do something good for once? Why not-?"

Kaho's head was yanked forward and her nausea worsened when Shigaraki's hand forced itself into her hair so he could smash their lips together.

The first thought was Kaho wondering how he managed to do this with only four of his fingers seeing as how her hair wasn't being reduced to ash.

The second was the hope that Kurogiri had disappeared from the scene.

The third was that his dry, rough lips were prying open her slackened ones, and his free hand was roaming any uncovered part of her body that was shielded with scales.

The fourth was that her arms were too weak to push him off; at this point, the alcohol had taken its toll and Kaho could only stay put as Shigaraki prodded his tongue into her cheek.

As she sat there in a daze of disbelief, he eventually pulled away with a sort of popping sound and began pressing frantic kisses to her neck, alternating between chaste pecks, nips, licks, and teeth just scraping against every inch of skin he could reach.

"Shi...Shigaraki…"

He paused and looked up at her through his eyelashes; until this moment, Kaho had no realized how much alcohol Shigaraki had actually consumed. The fingers in her hair stopped their yanking, opting to just hold the strands as carefully as glass.

"You taste a bit like ash you know...was that your first kiss? Don't tell me that trashy woman somehow got to you beforehand?"

Kaho blinked and gulped; Kurogiri had in act left them, and she felt all the more nervous.

"No. Shigaraki, you've been drinking, you don't realize what you're-"

"You piss me off so much...I wanted to kill you for what you said...but, you're nothing like I expected. You're so soft. You didn't even hold any of this against me; it might have been fate we met. This way, you'll be educated. You need to be more ruthless. It's a scary world we live in...I'm determined to make that common knowledge."

"I-"

"No. I'm talking now." Shigaraki nuzzled the skin connecting her neck and shoulder. "I know it's meant to be. I can….I can touch you. I can actually...and you know. You know what it means, don't you see? You've been forsaken. Where was a hero when you needed them? You were correct in one thing; you were never saved. Yet you accept it." Shigaraki put his hand on her cheek. "Don't just accept it. Join me. There's so much to be done, so much work left by my Sensei. I liked you right away until you acted so mean, but you only did that to make yourself seem harsher than you were."

"I didn't-"

"Stay here." Shigaraki slumped over, head resting on her shoulder. "No more inhibitions, no more reservations. We can destroy the world and make something new from the ashes. We can build a world better suited for people like us. People who were tossed aside, people who realize how cold the world truly is. That was my brand new plan, to make you see that you should be here, but I can't wait. I want to touch you more…."

Kaho shivered when Shigaraki's hand trailed over the scales on her arms, her hand, her knee; it occurred to her he never was able to put his hand on anyone so carelessly before.

"I feel warm, but I can't tell what it's from...my head is...fuzzy. Do you mind? I won't hurt you if you do as I say."

"I-I need to go-"

"No you don't." Shigaraki giggled roughly, his body almost completely leaning on hers in his stupor. "You can stay here as long as you want. You know, no one else has ever told me to stop….even when I draw blood. You're the only one…is that why you aren't mad at me? Do you like me Miss Dragon? Or do you think I'm ugly?"

Kaho felt his lips brushing against her collarbone as he mumbled each sentence.

"You're annoying, but I still like you. You're so...easy."

"Excuse me?"

"You just say things. You talk enough and when you talk, it makes sense...I don't get a headache and want to kill you. I do still sorta want to...you saw it."

Kaho looked around for any other occupants in the bar; Shigaraki's hands were hovering on either side of her, hanging while he rested his head on her shoulder. If he scooted forward anymore, he would fall off the stool.

"What, um, did I see?"

"Me. I don't like it, but….hey, hey," Shigaraki's lips parted in a wide, toothy grin as he peered up at her bewildered face. "So I remind you of your precious Ryoto-kun? Then that means you might like me too, yeah?" his arm felt heavy as he reached up to her face. "Huh Miss Dragon? Is that why you were so quick to swoop in? Even after everything you said earlier, you like me?"

Kaho gently took his forearms from around her and tried to raise his body up. "Shigaraki, you're drunk. Where's Kurogiri?"

"Who cares? Are you paying attention?!" Shigaraki tried to sit up himself; Kaho nearly yelled out as he began falling backwards. As off balance as she felt, she was somehow able to reach out for his shoulders and yank him back up right.

"Ah, you did it again…." he chuckled and coughed to clear his throat. "You are insane. Why not just let me mess myself up?"

"Shigaraki, where is Kurogiri? You really don't look so good." Kaho stood up and took one of Shigaraki's arms; she placed it carefully over her shoulders and felt his head lol to the side and rest on her scaly shoulder. She tried not to grimace as he rubbed his cheek against it.

"You look pretty damn good. I figured a woman with such loose morals and a face like yours would be more apt to jumping into anyone's bed...you know, like your bratty friend."

"Kumiko isn't a brat."

"Oooh, scary. Please, someone help, I'm shaking."

"If you ask me, you're acting far more childish right now. Look at you, you can hardly stand." Kaho slowly moved him along to a hallway, assuming she would either find some help or at least a place she could set him where he wouldn't fall. "You are shaking a bit...do you feel like you might vomit?"

"I'm fine. Stop bugging me about it, you're making me irritated again."

Kaho sighed. "This has been a long day….Shigaraki, you do realize you wouldn't be saying...well, at least some of the things you've been telling me if you were sober?"

"How the hell would you know? We barely know each other."

"Exactly. At any rate, I hardly know a thing about you, seeing as how _I_ wasn't snooping around figuring out your history, name, blood type, etc. in my pursuit to kill you." Kaho reminded him lightly, knowing the tinge of annoyance most likely would be overlooked. "I still don't see how spying me was necessary. I've conducted many jobs with little more than a name, a face, and a location."

"If you weren't so lazy, you could have avoided being ambushed earlier."

"You know enough. You knew before you said anything...Sensei was the one who saved me you know. Sensei showed me how flawed our system is. Like a game with a bunch of bugs in the software; it needs to either be fixed. Or detonated."

"...or you get something else."

"What?"

Kaho shrugged. "Don't look at me, you're the one talking crazy. I told you, I don't think about matters like that. It seems pointless."

"But it's fun."  
"Not to me."

"I think you need someone to show you a good time. Do you ever get sick of people?"

"Sometimes."

Shigaraki licked his cracked lip and chuckled. "Wouldn't it be great if you could just get rid of all the people you hate?"

Kaho knocked on one of the doors; making sure to hold Shigaraki securely in one arm, she managed to turn the knob and found the room was unlocked. "I hope there's a bed or a couch in here….also, if you could do that, I have a feeling the world population might decrease to zero."

The room was more of a lounge; there were actually three couches placed in a half circle. In the middle of the room was a low table.

"I'll destroy it all...everything All Might has built up will come crashing down, and everyone's going to see just how foolish it was to count on heroes to maintain their peace. It's all makes me want to-want to-"

Kaho paused in her tracks just as she was about to lay him down on the nearest couch; she didn't bother too look down to see why her shirt was suddenly feeling wet or why Shigaraki's grip on her arm tightened as he hacked out whatever was residing in his stomach.

 _"At least you're holding on to my scales."_ Kaho just stared ahead as he bent over slightly and continued to retch and gasp at her feet. _"Ambushes, kidnapping, death threats, drunken flirting, vomiting on my new boots….I wish I could say this wasn't normal…I need to stop drinking with the unhinged...or at least people more unhinged than me...maybe this is karma?"_

"Excuse me, I shall take it from here."

Kaho didn't bother turning her head. "Kurogiri, is this normal for him?"

"Shigaraki typically refrains from excess; it's become apparent to me over the last two weeks he has had a lot on his mind, which would explain his change of pace. I must apologize for your spoiled clothes."

Kaho felt a literal weight off her shoulders as Kurogiri propped Shigaraki onto one of the couches; she was surprised and a bit ticked to see none of the bile had landed on his clothes. His head was tipped back and his mouth gaped slightly as he tried to catch his breath; a trail of spit hung from the corner of his chin. The front of his shirt was wrinkled and his hair an even more tangled pile of a stringy mess; in general, he looked awful.

"Kaho...Kaho…"

"I think it would be best if you left. Allow me; and please don't concern yourself over your loved ones, they are unharmed; I had left to call back the members we sent to keep an eye on them." Kurogiri opened a portal. "This should go straight to your apartment. I thank you for your patience and cooperation during this ordeal."

"You're welcome...I guess." Kaho began to walk toward the warp gate, still feeling a pinch of apprehension as she looked into the swirling, pitch dark abyss. Before she could step inside, she paused and addressed Kurogiri quietly.

"Will he be…? I mean, I don't suppose convincing him to drink will come back to bite me later?"

"In truth, I don't see Tomura Shigaraki disposing of you any time soon. I should think you would be smart enough to see why."

"Oh."

Kaho bit her lip as understanding came to her. Briefly, she looked back at the leader of the League of Villains, slumped over, nearly passed out, and mumbling her name under his breath.

"I...yes. I see."

"Have a good night. We will be in touch."

Kaho frowned but nodded; with one last puzzled glance at Shigaraki, she took a deep breath and left hurriedly, fighting back an oncoming headache at the realization that she might have made a very foolish, very dangerous mistake.


	7. Chapter 7

_"She hates me...she doesn't…"_

Dabi looked away pointedly while Shigaraki sent darts into the collage of pictures hanging opposite the bar; today his game was an altered version. Instead of sending the dart into Dragon Lady's face, each hole had been taped up and he was shooting them into the left side of her chest.

 _"She doesn't...she hates me…"_

"Tomura Shigaraki, have you had time to go over the candidates Giran suggested he introduce us to?" Kurogiri knew his question would be ignored and it was.

"How long is our great leader going to be acting like a zoned out freak?" Dabi muttered under his breath; Shigaraki was curled up on the stool, arm just repeating the same motion over and over, his eyes never blinking.

"Throwing up on a girl's shoes...Tomura-kun must be so embarrassed! I wonder if he really is learning anything from all those dating simulation games he bought?"

Toga looked positively tickled at the strangely quiet and morose behavior Shigaraki had been exhibiting; she herself had been the one to accidentally pass his gaming room just the other day, looking to borrow one of his horror based games. She curiously peeked through the slightly ajar door to see him sitting an inch from the wide screen, eyes devouring the words and fingers mechanically pressing the responses that would please the character he was supposed to be wooing.

"I don't need to know that."

"And you should have seen his reaction when a spicy scene came up-"

"Will you keep your damn voice down?"

But there was really no need to; over the past few days, Shigaraki had been engrossed in his own little world. Today was the first time he had come out of his quarters for hours. He hardly even seemed to be aware there were other people in his general vicinity.

 _"She hates me...she doesn't...she hates me…"_

Shigaraki reached for another dart, but found his box was empty.

 _"But Miss Dragon was being so very careful trying to help me find a place to recuperate...she was trying to get me to a bed. Did she plan on…?"_

Truth be told, Shigaraki wanted to get more research on the subject prior to any actual activity, hence the dating sim training he had been indulging in, but that unfortunate night was still a bad taste in his mouth in more ways than one. Recalling the stares he got standing in line at the store with an arm load of relationship sim RPGs made Shigaraki begin to scratch at his neck before remembering he was trying to curb that habit.

 _"It makes Miss Dragon upset to see that...Miss Dragon, what a silly girl you are to concern yourself over an enemy."_

It wasn't really so much that her altruistic streak offended him on a personal level, but the more he thought about it, the more Shigaraki found himself getting wrapped in a foul mood at how easy it was for Kaho to act friendly, even to someone who had just threatened not only her, but her family and friend. Maybe part of it was the fact she worked so hard to keep herself detached, but it still made him irrationally jealous thinking she had given such treatment to other men.

The more he brooded on it, the more Shigaraki wished he had just a couple of less drinks that night; since then he had been plagued with images of where else her body was covered with scales whenever he closed his eyes or tried to sleep. He unwillingly pondered which places he could touch freely as he made her writhe under him, with him. He would skim his fingertips over vulnerable patches of skin, making light scratches down her thighs and arms and daring her to make one false move as he drove into her over and over, slamming inside her, carving himself into her until she knew nothing and no one else.

There was also the matter of tweeking her faulty perspective; Kaho was a few shades away from becoming a part of a broken down world, and Shigaraki would be damned if he let her slip through his hands. Kaho was too easy going, too detached, and yet she wasn't detached enough. Or rather, she was giving too much focus on the wrong people.

Shigaraki wondered what her hands would feel like on his face; or better yet, her lips pressing kisses to each of his fingers, her eyes unwavering and her expression calm and cool as she was. She would trust him to not hurt her and he would be tempted to do so just for the fun of it.

 _"Miss Dragon would understand. She already understood me, the very day we met. She even thinks I'm cute."_

Shigaraki frowned, recalling her exact words were not quite so. Kaho _had_ implied that he was a little less hard to look at once one was used to the sight, but she had not quite commented on his looks one way or the other. He recalled her toned arms and legs wet from her hot bath, her eyes bright in her knowing gaze, and how smooth lips were pressed to his and felt his spirits rise considerably.

 _"Ah yes...Miss Dragon didn't push me away; she only said no because she thought I was too drunk."_

Still, to his chagrin, Shigaraki would find himself passing a mirror or pausing when he changed his clothes to survey his sickly physique. The ribs were noticeable, the limbs eerily lanky, and more scars and cracked spots than he cared to count. Even if he was much stronger than he looked, it wasn't hard to imagine Kaho being horrified by his borderline skeletal appearance. Yet even that thought was pleasing, to see her eyes widen in fear and those smooth, soft lips tremble as he lowered himself on top of her.

Not that he wanted to frighten or seek retribution for her early rudeness; the motives of her comments had become clear to him during his time thinking over just what it was he wanted to do to show her not to cross him. Shigaraki replayed the event over and over in his mind; it was so obvious, he felt stupid for just then coming to understand what she had meant by it.

 _"She knew right away we were cut from the same cloth; mercenary's do tend to be overly observant. But in relation to that, she's afraid to get close, so she reached out in a way that would only serve to make me keep my distance."_

The act of misguided selflessness made him instantly forget any notion of turning Kaho's bones to powder. How could he stay mad at her when it turned out to be a simple misunderstanding? If that wasn't enough to change his course of action, Shigaraki was convinced it must be fate he could touch parts of her without her body suffering damage.

 _"Miss Dragon could be a character in a RS-RPG. She was practically made for me, for my touch...it's been a while since I visited her."_

A pang of worry interrupted Shigaraki's reveries; no doubt Kaho was wondering if all the things he said truly were the result of an intoxicated mind, and the fact he had not bothered to even make contact since would only serve to support the idea.

"Shigaraki, I believe this is yours?" Kurogiri placed the bowie knife on the surface of the freshly wiped down bar. "You left it here. I took the liberty of having it sharpened. Perhaps you may find use for it."

Kurogiri wanted to stumble back as Shigaraki's head whipped over to the knife, his hands fumbling and nearly dropping the now sharp and shined weapon in his haste to take it and not reduce it to nothing.

"This is Miss Dragon's. She used it for her very first kill-I had forgotten Giran had delivered it to me."

Shigaraki was holding the knife up to his eyes for closer inspection, smiling at it with a disturbingly childlike expression of awe.

"This is just making my skin crawl." Dabi scratched at one of his stitches as he shook his head at Shigaraki's low giggling. "What's the big deal anyway? It's a knife."

Toga let out a dreamy sigh, putting her hands to her brightly flushed cheeks. "I know exactly how he feels...what I wouldn't give to have one of Mr. Stainy's swords!"

Dabi's unfazed stare became a bit dark. "Great. You two can bond over being complete sickos."

Shigaraki was engulfed in a haze as he threw on a jacket and a surgical mask, taking care to run his fingers through his hair and putting up the hood to cover his face. He kept the knife in his hand, gripping his "father's" hand inside the large pocket on the front of his hoodie; he ran his thumb over the hilt; after Kurogiri provided him with transportation to a place near Kaho's apartment, he strolled the rest of the few blocks.

"What perfect timing. Miss Dragon will be so pleased to see this little memento."

It thrilled him to be having the weapon that killed her late mother in his possession; if there was one thing he could not fault Kaho in, it was that she had not relied on a broken system to save her. She had taken the matters into her own hands, had assumed responsibility for herself and her infant brother, to take their chance at a new life. To think he was holding the tool used to achieve such a feat made him shiver with each step as he climbed the stairs leading to Kaho's level. He remained gleefully nervous as he knocked on her door and waited to see her surprised expression and her stunned reaction to such a chivalrous gesture, to come so far to return such a valued object.

"I'm coming!"

Shigaraki's smile fell. That was not Kaho's voice, though it was faintly familiar. His confusion and annoyance spiked when he saw a slightly older woman donned in nothing but what he could recognize as one of Kaho's worn sweaters.

"Oh hey…" Kumiko was openly dumbfounded. "Um, I think you might have the wrong place-"

"I'm a friend of Kaho." Shigaraki said, his voice muffled somewhat by the mask. "I came by to return something and say hello. Are you a fri-?"

"Yeah, sure am!" Kumiko stepped aside, seemingly unaware how little the sweaters hem covered and how odd it looked for her to be answering the door to a total stranger. "Actually, Ryu-chan isn't home, but I'm sure she would want me to offer her friend something to drink or maybe a quick sit down. No offense, but you look like hell."

 _"You look like a fucking whore. Oh wait. You are one."_

Shigaraki attempted a sheepish tone. "I've come down with a cold you see. But I wanted to return her knife right away, I think it's important to her."

"Well come in, I was just making some tea." Kumiko said kindly. "I don't know if you meant to stick around, but Ryu-chan won't be back for a while. I actually just stopped by 'cause I needed somewhere quiet to study."

Shigaraki nodded and settled down on the same recliner he had occupied. "I see. Are you roomates attending the same college?"

 _"Why is she wearing Miss Dragon's things? Does she just let trash wander in and out of her home, to come and go as they please?!"_

As Kumiko chattered on and set a cup of steaming tea in front of him as she chatted away and offered him something to snack on. In his opinion, Kumiko was akin to a chittering monkey in makeup. He would smash the cup into his face before taking a sip of whatever sludge she managed to concoct.

 _"She's been here...she's touched her things, she acts like she lives here, the little bitch. What right does she even have to be in Miss Dragon's home and snooping around her things?! She's probably planning to steal something like when she tried to take Miss Dragon's wallet..."_

Right there was an example of why Kumiko couldn't compare; while she had come to leech off of Kaho's generosity, he was there to give her back something precious. With this in mind, Shigaraki tried to recall all his training to figure how the current situation should be dealt with while Kumiko went to what he assumed was the bathroom to brush her teeth and find her pants.

 _"Okay, despite being a bitch, she's most likely the childhood best friend option. That, or she's the flirty character who doesn't even have their own route anyway; either one is boring as hell. Now... let's see...Miss Dragon did shoot her down before, but she's still willing to let her use her place to hang out in."_

"Uh-oh. I'm going to be late." Kumiko pranced out to the living room, scooping up the books and papers laid out over the coffee table.

"Late?"

"I have a class in twenty minutes! Hey, tell Ryu-chan I didn't steal anything while I was here, okay? She's so suspicious of everyone, even her own girlfriend. Can you believe that? Anyway, it was nice meeting you, I hope your cold clears up soon."

 _"Liar."_

"Thank you very much, have a good day in class."

Shigaraki kept his pleasant expression plastered to his face as he waved goodbye to Kumiko, who told him to help himself to more tea before she went on her way

 _"Liar."_

Once she had closed the door, locked it behind her, Shigaraki stared and waited to hear her footsteps make their way down the metal staircase.

 _"Liar."_

After a few minutes when he was certain Kumiko was out of the building and unlikely to come sweeping back inside, Shigaraki immediately stood up, briskly making his way toward the kitchen to throw out the untouched tea.

 _"Liar."_

He smiled to himself as he poured it down the drain and turned on the faucet to rinse off the sink for good measure; he was very careful to use only a couple fingers to move the handle to turn the water on and off, and to hold the delicate cup by it's handle as he placed it in the plastic dish rack to dry.

 _"Liar."_

When he was done, Shigaraki went down the hallway, easily recalling where Kaho's room was; he held the knife in hand as he looked for a proper place to put it so she would see it the second she came in.

 _"Liar."_

Shigaraki's eye was caught by something peeking out from under the covers of the bed sheets; placing the knife down on the dresser counter, he found himself plucking a folded up piece of pink stationary. As he opened it up to read Kumiko's thank you note to Kaho for allowing her to take refuge at her place overnight, he realized it was perfumed to smell like strawberries. When it occurred to him that the sheets had a very similar scent when he brought them to his nose, Shigaraki wasted no time in tearing the paper to shreds, simultaneously allowing his Quirk to take care of the bits that remained.

"Liar, liar, liar, liar, liar, liar, you fucking liar!"

It had been months since Shigaraki had gotten so caught up in raw, unbridled emotions, but he found his self control was at its limit. He tore the sheets off the bed with a wild cry and began ripping them by apart by the seams as they decayed to fibers of fluff and dust that floated to the floor.

 _"She's a liar. This world is full of them! Nothing happened, Miss Dragon doesn't even want her, she wants me!"_

As he punched the pillows into little more than powder, Shigaraki's rage ebbed.

Only to return once he heard a knock at the front door.

 _"That bitch, what does she want now?!"_

Shigaraki nearly tore the door off the hinges when he opened it to reveal a small child standing there in the dirty hallway, eyes wide and fist paused in mid air.

" _It's her brother? What the hell?"_

"Um...who are you Mister?"

Shigaraki sighed and scowled; the boy was looking blatantly at his uncovered face. _"Dammit, this is just getting more and more irritating...wait. Maybe I can use this brat…"_

With great effort, Shigaraki slowly crouched to Ryoto's eye level and gave him a goofy grin.

"Sorry about that, I know I look scary, but I didn't mean to frighten you. Is Kaho with you? I'm a friend from work."

Ryoto adjusted the straps to his backpack, still looking a bit nervous. "No. I came from my school..."

"Ah I see. It would appear we both missed her on her way out." Shigaraki chuckled and Ryoto gave a polite but hesitant smile back. "You can call me Shigaraki-san. I've heard a lot about you from your big sister Ryoto-kun; you like video games, right?"

At the mention of his favorite past time, Ryoto's eyes lit right up. "Yes!"

"Me too! Look at that, we already have something in common. I bet your sister isn't that good at video games, is she? And she's twice your age!"

Ryoto giggled. "No, she sucks."

"Well hey, since we're both waiting for her, would you like to come and help me with something before she gets back?"


	8. Chapter 8

To say Kaho was momentarily struck by paralysis, a heart attack, a panic attack, and an aneurysm all at once, might have been an understatement when she stepped into her apartment after a long day's work to find her seven year old brother pumping his fist in the air and trash talking the leader of the League of Villains over a racing game.

"Ha! Hand it over!"

"You're a little monster." Shigaraki picked up a mini candy bar from the bowl next to him and flicked it over to Ryoto's waiting hand. "Hasn't anyone taught you any manners?"

"Hasn't anyone taught you how to drive?" Ryoto gave him an all too familar lazy grin as he tore open the wrapper from the chocolate.

Kaho dropped her bag carrying her unloaded gun and a few unactivated explosives to the ground; the thump caught both her unexpected guests attention.

"Hey Kaho, what took you so long?" Ryoto jumped up from his seat on the floor, spreading out his wings and flying the short distance over to tackle her legs in a hug. "You missed me beat the pants off Shigaraki-san! We got you new sheets too. Can you make me something to eat? I'm getting tired of candy."

"Could have fooled me." Shigaraki slowly rose, stretching his long legs and giving Kaho a seemingly warm smile. "Welcome back. It seems we both missed you."

Not caring to interpret any other meaning to the statement, Kaho nodded and tried for a polite smile before picking up Ryoto and holding him close to her. "Ryoto, when did you get here?"

"A couple hours ago. I went straight from school, and Shigaraki-san said he was going to see you, but you were at work. His face is messed up because he couldn't use his Quirk right. He had an accident and we had to buy you new blankets and pillows; I swept up the dust bunnies he made."

"I...and, when...where-?"

"Well, it only took us a little bit to run that errand, so I thought I would keep him entertained and play a mini tournament for candy pieces until you came back." Shigaraki reached out and playfully wagged his fingers in Ryoto's face, causing the boy to shriek out and laugh in mock fear. "I came originally to return something you left at the bar. I hope you don't mind, I felt bad leaving the kid alone when he came all this way to see his big sister."

Before Kaho could say a word, Ryoto was tugging the hem of her shirt.

"Kaho, I'm hungry."

"I…"

"What's the matter?" Ryoto asked impatiently. "I called Granny Mei, and she said I could stay for dinner. Can we have stir fry?"

Shigaraki took her bag. "I'll just put this away for you while you start dinner. It's the least I can do for barging in unannounced. I should probably be going-"

"No, we tied! We can't stop until one of us loses." Ryoto interrupted. "Kaho, can he stay to eat? I'll help cook and I won't fly in the house...again."

Kaho was staring at them both, absolutely dumbstruck.

"Kaho?"

"Ryoto-kun, your big sister must be tired from work. You know what ingredients we need; why don't you go set out the food we picked up earlier and clean the veggies while I help Kaho put her stuff away?"

Ryoto shrugged with one last look up at Kaho. "Okay. Sorry about her, she's always been weird."

Shigaraki smiled back and hefted the bag to his shoulder while Ryoto went off to the kitchen, making sure to tuck in his wings before going through the door.

"He takes after you a bit."

Kaho blinked.

"Where does this go?"

As Shigaraki held up her bag, Kaho snatched it away, giving the dirtiest look she could muster before gesturing for him to follow her into the bedroom. Shigaraki shuffled after her just as silently; when they were inside, he spoke quietly.

"Miss Dragon, Giran left me your old bowie knife the other week when he paid me a visit. I forgot to return it to you; when I made to put it on your bed, well…" Shigaraki held up his hands bashfully.

"And who said you could come into my house?" Kaho demanded hoarsely; she took the knife and flipped the blade out to his direction. "Who said you could touch any of my things, or even so much as breathe a word to my little brother-?!"

"Whoa, whoa, easy there. I didn't tell Ryoto-kun any of the unsavory details of your financial pursuits, so if you want to keep him ignorant, I suggest lowering your voice and getting that knife out of my face."

Kaho took a deep breath and slowly let her arm drop to her side, though she didn't relinquish the knife's handle.

"Good girl. Now listen; I was just going to drop it off and say hello, but then that-what was your girlfriend's name? Well, she was here and she had to leave for class, but then-"

"Kumiko?" Kaho looked twice as puzzled. "She's not my girlfriend."

Shigaraki shrugged his shoulders. "That's just what she told me. Anyway, I didn't say a word about your job to her either; she let me in, gave me some tea, and had to be off. I tried to leave the knife on your bed, but then just a minute later Ryoto-kun is knocking at the door."

"So what's your deal? You always treat kids whose lives you've threatened to candy and racing game matches out of the goodness of your heart?"

"I was bored and to be frank, I assumed you might be out for blood if you knew he was left alone in a sketchy neighborhood when I could easily look out for him until your return. We went to the store, came back, and had a few laughs. He isn't too much of a brat, but he didn't get his brains from his sister. He believed me right away when I said I knew you. Isn't it your job to warn him about strangers?"

"Don't say another word." Kaho's eyes flashed and she glanced at the new white sheets pulled over her mattress and the fluffy, unused pillows. "There's something you aren't telling me. You better count yourself lucky that kid is in this house, or my gun would be on your head so fast-"

"Ah, ah, remember our deal? You leave me alone, I leave you alone, no innocent bystanders get hurt." Shigaraki reminded her. "And as you can see, I haven't harmed a hair on Ryoto-kun's head. True, I wasn't expecting to run into so many distractions, but my objective was to give that back." he pointed to the knife still clutched tight in her grip. "By the way, I'm dying to know: was that what you used to kill her with?"

Kaho glared. "If you really mean that, I wouldn't mind using it again in just a moment."

Shigaraki pulled back his hood and Kaho's frown faltered; his hair had been tamed enough to be tied back, leaving only his unruly bangs to fall in his eyes that were locked on her face. But what really struck her was his expression; far from hostile and unstable or gruesome, he seemed to be giving her a coy once over.

"I haven't had anything to eat since this morning. You wouldn't kick out somebody doing you a favor? I will be on my best behavior and not let anything slip."

And so, the three of them sat down to freshly cooked pieces of chicken, broccoli, carrots, and white rice smothered in teriyaki sauce. Ryoto sat on Kaho's side of the table, scarfing down as much chicken and rice into his mouth as he could.

"Ryoto." Kaho shot him a warning look. "Did you go blind or did you just forget you piled on more than meat on your plate?"

Ryoto swallowed his mouthful of chewed up food and gave her a begrudgingly sorry look before using his chopsticks to stab at a piece of steamed broccoli.

"Ryoto-kun, listen to your sister. You're lucky to have her looking out for you."

"But she always tells me what to do! I'm not a baby."

"If that's true, you'll listen when others give you advice. My Sensei would make me do things I didn't like when I was a kid because he knew it was best for me. Hasn't your sister done a good job taking care of you?"

"When she's around…" Ryoto looked up from his plate. "Your Sensei?"

"Yes. My Sensei raised me to be the man I am today."

Kaho sipped her water. _"You say that like it's a good thing…"_

"Things I didn't want to do as a kid ended up helping me grow up. It may be frustrating now, but I bet if you listened and didn't argue, you'd learn many things from Kaho."

"Except video games. She sucks at them."

"Oh, but adults can't know everything. If they did, the world wouldn't be such a mess." Shigaraki chuckled good naturedly, which was quite the feat seeing as how his voice was similar to sandpaper being scrapped onto a blackboard. "Tell you what, finish everything left on your plate and I'll stay a bit longer for a rematch-with your sister's permission of course."

Kaho's mouth was a thin line. "If you eat them, yes. But one match only; then I'm taking you home."

"Okay, fine…"

Ryoto stuffed a piece into his mouth with a restrained grimace; Shigaraki nodded in approval and ate his plate with precise, careful movements, most likely to prevent his touch from decaying his utensils. Kaho let them leave to finish their game as she cleared the table, washed up, and put away the leftovers for Ryoto's lunch the next day.

 _"I'm still drunk. That is the only suitable explanation...unless...is this supposed to be a way to intimidate me? To show me that he can come in anytime the mood suits him and hurt Ryoto if I break my end of the deal? I wouldn't be surprised if he still had a chip on his shoulder over what I said."_

If coming over and hanging out with her kid brother and clumsily trying to help make dinner was a ploy to showcase his advantage, Shigaraki must have been out of touch in what could be qualified as intimidation tactics. Kaho couldn't comprehend what was the strategy in insisting on escorting her and Ryoto to their grandmother's house so late at night; Ryoto certainly did not seem to sense anything wrong with the situation. Before he ran back into Granny Mei's house, he even made Shigaraki promise to teach him his secret combo move the next time he came to visit Kaho. She had a sneaking suspicion that Shigaraki was getting on so well with him because, mentally, their ages were in sync.

"You know, for a man who seems to dislike children, you sure are getting on with them well." Kaho said as she watched Ryoto disappear into the house to make sure he got in. "Also, I understand we have something of a truce, so the question stands: why do you feel you still have grounds to barge into my home for no real reason?"

"I assure you, it was an unplanned incident."

There was in fact some truth in that. He really had not planned to even stay so long; the original strategy was to pop in, say hello, hand over the knife, and request a detailed recounting of what it felt to take a life for her own for the very first time. Shigaraki certainly had no idea Kumiko or Ryoto would both be paying visits the same day; it was not expected since in the weeks he had observed Kaho's living habits, she did not like having company over and primarily spent each day away from her apartment for hours at a time.

Kaho began walking; she was exhausted and the day seemed to just drag on. By the time she got home, she would only have a few hours to get some rest before her next appointment.

So she felt pretty justified in feeling her patience dwindling as she heard shuffling footsteps just a couple of feet behind her, following her lead without a word.

"Shigaraki?"

"Yes?"

"What are you doing?"

"I'm walking."

Kaho looked back at him. "Can't you call Kurogiri and have him take you to your base?"

"I thought I should walk you home, or at least to the station."

Kaho's eyebrows went to her hairline. "You do realize how ridiculous that sounds?"

"I'm well aware you are capable of protecting yourself." Shigaraki moved to keep up with her pace.

"So why don't you just go?"

"I want to make sure you get home safe. Besides, the night's still young." he pulled up his hood as they began moving into a more condensed area of the city. "I promise, I know my limits; there will be no repeat incidents."

"Oh don't worry about that. I did keep giving you shots." Kaho conceded. "A little detergent and some shoe polish fixed my clothes right up. How awful was your hangover?"

"I had a headache, mostly over thinking how epically I must have made a fool of myself."

Kaho cracked a smile and Shigaraki felt his chest swoop.

"We've all done it before. Kumiko is a lightweight for sure; the whole reason she ended up spending the night at my apartment was because she was up late with a customer and her home was too far for her to make it without throwing up on the street." she rolled her eyes. "With all I do to help that woman, I might as well be her girlfriend. My sympathies to the person who really catches her eyes and gets serious."

Shigaraki's mood soured a bit at the mention, but it was lifted at Kaho's criticism.

"She was a bit much. I don't like loud people who talk so much."

"Meaning you like some people?"

"Yes."

Kaho's smile turned uneasy and she fell back into an awkward silence.

"Miss Dragon, how about we go out for some dessert? I think we passed an ice cream place on the way here, my treat-"

"Shigaraki, I hate to make assumptions, but I have feeling I...I'm one of those people you don't mind so much. If I'm completely wrong, feel free to correct me-"

"Yes."

"I'm wrong? Oh, I thought so."

"Yes." Shigaraki nodded quickly. "I like Miss Dragon..."

Kaho felt her heart sink like a ton of lead to her stomach. "Oh."

"Yes. So, should we count tonight as our first date? It was dinner with company, but we always have that dessert."

"I think you already know my answer to that." Kaho said evenly.

"Why? What's the harm in it?"

"Shigaraki, don't take this personally. I'm not up to getting attached to anyone, let alone going out on a date with a man who hated my guts not that long ago."

"Hated you? Miss Dragon, I may have lost my temper, but I never hated you. I misunderstood your intentions."

Kaho stopped and leaned against the wall of the station; even for this late hour, there was an obscene amount of people out and about, many most likely on their way to their respective homes. She wished her life could be so simple.

"You saw right through me, but not because you were trying to look down on me. Miss Dragon...if you came home to find I broke my promise, would you hate me?"

"Yes."

Shigaraki was stung by the automatic response. "Then...I won't."

"I should hope so. I haven't gone back on my end of the-"

"I won't, even then. I won't do anything to make my Miss Dragon upset with me. I want us to have fun together and for you to see things my way. You do like me, don't you Miss Dragon? You said you wouldn't hold what I did against me, so you must like me...a little."

Kaho could hardly bear to look at him as he silently demanding she answer him in the way he preferred.

"I don't dislike you."

Shigaraki looked to be sulking. "I guess that's a start...what will make you like me faster?"

"It doesn't matter. Shigaraki, this," Kaho pointed to him and her. "Would not work. Personality differences aside, it just wouldn't. Chances are, one of us is going to end up dying horribly. And to be frank, I'm not sure I have it in me to have those feelings for anyone."

Shigaraki frowned. "You love your little brother."

"That's instinctual."

"I instinctually believed you were someone I shouldn't kill yet."

Kaho stared at him, but he was completely serious.

"Didn't you have fun today?"

The fact that she only took a few seconds to consider this surprised Kaho almost as much as the answer she found.

"Yes. I did."

It wasn't a lie so Shigaraki wouldn't be provoked. It was the honest to god truth; as surreal as the whole scenario had been and as anxious Kaho was trying to figure out what exactly the motivations for his visit and being so friendly with her somewhat bratty sibling were, the overall dinner was not unpleasant. Shigaraki himself was unfailingly civil and didn't even speak that much; he even somehow managed to handle Ryoto's more difficult moments with a patient strictness.

Ryoto had actually seemed to take to Shigaraki despite his strangeness; it probably helped that he had only known his grandmother and Kaho, who was not exactly a constant presence, for guidance. He had never had an older male figure in his life who also enjoyed gaming and sweets and liked to make fun of his older sister.

And in a very strange way, it was nice; Kaho couldn't help look back at the way Ryoto seemed to truly enjoy himself and Shigaraki hadn't seemed too displeased at playing partial babysitter. Sitting together at the table and eating a homemade meal was something she and Ryoto themselves never did together. Normally she might cook him something and send him on his way as soon as she could.

" _That's normal for me. Not whatever it is Shigaraki is trying to do."_

"Shigaraki, to be perfectly honest, I really don't particularly dislike you at all. I don't even want to kill you. I'm even willing to go so far as to say I was grateful you were being nice to Ryoto and didn't break your promise. It showed me you just may not quite be who I assumed. But that being said...I want to be left alone. It's just easier, don't you think?"

Kaho raised her eyes. "And would you please stop staring so much? Isn't it enough you've basically gone through all my personal information, now you keep giving me odd looks?"

"Am I?" Shigaraki inquired. "Well, to be perfectly honest, I didn't notice."

They paused their conversation over the roaring of the trains bowling through the station; to the individual passerby making their way to their own destination, the two of them would look like a slightly intimidating looking young woman having a chat with a man who, while appearing a bit odd themselves, seemed to be like any other young man wearing his hood up to protect himself from the slight chill in the late night.

"But...I did everything I was supposed to do. I even said I wouldn't do anything to hurt you from now on. I don't understand. Why don't you like me Miss Dragon?"

"Shiga-"

"Is it...is it my face? I can't do much about that. It's a pretty damn shallow reason to reject me." Shigaraki glowered at his shoes. "Besides, didn't you say I wasn't that bad to look at? But then, I can't think of any other reason; and I said I wouldn't hurt anyone. I came all this way just to see you. I don't even care if I had to deal with your brother or help make dinner...as long as we're together-"

"We are not together."

Shigaraki whipped his head up to stare at her with an accusatory glare. "Why?"

"Don't take this so personally."

"Why? Why?!" Shigaraki demanded to know, his voice drowned out in the rumbling of the was an almost pleading tone under the sharpness. "It's not fair, I did everything I was supposed to do! Do you think you can just brush me off? If that's the case, you don't know who you're toying with Miss Dragon."

Kaho's mind was buzzing at the implications of that statement and she thought fast.

"You've got it wrong. If we try to move past the line...you'll only be hurt eventually and that wouldn't be fair to you or me. Here...I want you to have this, as a token of my appreciation if nothing else."

Shigaraki was dead silent as she gently pulled his trembling fist from his pocket and placed her bowie knife in his palm, her fingers tenderly closing four of his over the polished handle.

Kaho gave him an apologetic smile as her train slowly came to a stop at the tracks. "I have to go now; thank you for the lovely evening. Almost makes a girl want to settle down...but please, for both our sakes, just leave things as they are Tomura."

If outright refusing him would just serve to set Shigaraki off and accepting his feelings would put her in a less than desirable circumstances, Kaho figured she might as well take the third option and stay in the middle road.

 _"Chances are, Shigaraki will get bored of this game shortly; men like him enjoy the chase more than anything else. He put on a good show today, but his patience won't allow him to keep this up for very long; he's too much like a kid in that respect. All I have to do is sit back and wait for Shigaraki to tire himself out."_

She boarded the train without a glance back; this caused her to not witness the face splitting grin Shigaraki was giving her. When he could no longer see her profile through the train doors, he directed this euphoric look to the knife in his hand.

The games had made him aware such things like couple rings were given between partners as a symbol to show their commitment and dedication to each other, but he had not expected for Kaho to be so subtle about wanting to take things to the next level, let alone use something sentimental.

 _"This is so much more fitting! It's a little piece of her past, her present...and I'm going to be her future. But how ironic; it would seem Miss Dragon is a bit gun shy."_

Shigaraki knew it would take a bit more convincing to make Kaho see that in reality, he was more than willing to take risks in his pursuit to make her his. If anything, it only served to make his desire to move along the process more befitting; no one could say for sure when he might be bested or she might be taken down by enemies, so it made perfect sense to speed things up.

Using his forefinger and thumb to place the keepsake into his pocket, Shigaraki used his other hand to pull out his cellphone and text Kurogiri his whereabouts so he could pick a more inconspicuous location to send a portal. When a few strangers caught sight of his uncovered face and rushed along in slight fear, Shigaraki pulled the surgical mask back up over his mouth and lowered his hood a bit further down his eyes.

As frustrating as the night's outcome had been, Shigaraki found he simply could not stop smiling; in her own way, Kaho was trying to reach out to him, but her concern was keeping her from making any real moves. As he made his way out of the station, his finger slide back and forth on the knife's smooth hilt and a pleased shudder wracked his body.

"How _sweet_. Miss Dragon really does care..."


	9. Chapter 9

"I remember that day so well because I was actually expecting a package from my publisher; he was going to send me the finished edition of my first novel. I was so excited, all these years, and me, having a published book! So you might be able to imagine how shocked I was when I go out to answer the doorbell and I find a baby on the porch with an envelope of...maybe a few hundred? I was completely bowled over, it was like time had stopped."

"But then I saw the letter. It was so strange, not just what it said, but the writing. Kaho loops her 'g's and 'o's just like I do….but anyway, the worst part was finding out about Kana...I never thought I'd ever know what happened to her. I still don't know how she died exactly; Kaho never spoke to me about it. In fact, she refused to live with me, said in the letter she was living with a friend and being home schooled. Looking back, I should have tried harder to get her with me...but Ryoto was a whole handful on his own, and as old as I am now, I wasn't that much younger seven years ago. And there was something...I suppose I felt at that point, there wasn't much use."

"Kana was like that. The day she ran away, she stayed gone. I looked for months, but it wasn't as if she was a child who I could make stay; the police told me I could file a missing person's report, but what was the point? Kana wasn't missing; she left."

"Why?"

"I'm still trying to figure that out...that man was a big part of it. He was a snake, and I don't just mean because he looked like one. Kana was so stubborn, but she hung on his every word...I suppose she eloped with him. Kaho has his eyes…I asked her once where he was, but she said she didn't know. And then I heard about Kana...I couldn't even cry. All these years….so many years, and I never knew-"

Mei took off her reading glasses and dabbed at the corners of her eyes. "Excuse me. The tears come out a lot easier nowadays as you can see."

Ryoto was sitting on the floor; he had been playing a made up game scenario with his professional hero toy collection, but the more Mei spoke, the more attentive he was.

"Granny?"

"Granny's okay Ryoto. Oh dear, I shouldn't even be talking about this with you here-"

"No way, I want to hear! Kaho won't tell me anything." Ryoto's observant gaze turned to a sulky glare at the carpet. "She never tells me anything."

Shigaraki sipped his cold tea; as Mei shared her story, he found it hard to concentrate on anything else. He supposed in theory this drop in visit was completely unnecessary, but he couldn't seem to stop himself. He had to know more, everything, about the woman who's knife he carried around his neck.

"Ryoto, please, not now." Mei beseeched tiredly. "Not in front of your sister's friend."

"It's really fine. It's kind of you to humor my concern, especially with me just intruding on your deadline schedule."

Mei waved a hand. "No worries, it can wait."

"Kaho's behavior lately has just made me a bit...worried. And as you know, she's not one to talk about personal matters; though I had no idea she was so tight lipped with her own family. That is quite a story. I'm curious: what happened after you found Ryoto-kun? When did Kaho finally see you?"

"It was a year later."

Shigaraki was genuinely puzzled. "A year? Why a year?"

"I don't know." Mei confessed. "Maybe because it was Ryoto's first birthday; up until then, the only contact I had with Kaho was money. She said it was from her job; apparently she took up a part time position at some company her friend worked at. I must say, she's doing quite well for herself, though I feel guilty to have to ask her for help. My writing only brings in so much, along with my husband's social security, bless his soul. Kaho's always been so helpful-"

Ryoto made a skeptical sound from his throat and Mei sent him a sharp glance.

"What was that?"

"Nothing."

"It better be nothing." Mei gave Shigaraki an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, he's not usually like this. Can I get you some more tea? How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine." Shigaraki adjusted his face mask as he handed Mei his empty cup. "This is helping my throat."

"I'm glad. You know, you're considerate young man; not many people would bother to go to such lengths to help a friend."

Shigaraki nodded and Mei hobbled to the kitchen; she looked wipsy and almost ready to fall over. It was hard to believe Kaho was related to someone so frail, but then, she was pushing eighty. Ryoto was still sprawled out on the ground, eyes cast down firmly and toys forgotten except the Kamui Woods action figure clutched tight in his hand.

"Mei-san, thank you for your hospitality. Kaho should be getting off work soon though-"

"Oh!" Mei put down the kettle and rushed to a closet full of coats. "Ryoto, get your shoes on to meet your sister. And you listen to Shigaraki-san, you don't fly off."

To his credit, Ryoto did in fact listen to his grandmother, despite the obvious storm brewing in his mind; Shigaraki grimaced as he made sure to scoop up his hero action figure before rushing out the door.

 _"I want to break it."_

"Is Kaho really going to be home?"

"She should be." Shigaraki had taken to paying Giran for information on when her next assignment would be; he knew almost exactly where, when, and who Kaho would be killing each week or so. She often took jobs from Giran or his associates herself, though it seemed she took offers from just about anyone.

Ryoto's wings folded tight on his back. "I don't see why you're being so nice to her. She's just going to make you feel bad and tell you to leave her alone."

Shigaraki didn't bother saying that Kaho did in fact do something of the sort, but then he was reminded that while she had not exactly accepted his confession, she didn't completely shut him down. The knife's weight pressing down on his chest, bumping into his heart with each step was proof enough.

"I thought you liked your big sister?"

Ryoto shrugged. "She treats me like a little kid whenever I come over. And she never tells me anything. She always says, 'maybe later' or 'when you're older'. But that's a lie. She never tells me anything…"

Shigaraki eyed the young boy. "What does she tell you?"

"Eat all my food...brush my teeth, don't fly inside, listen to Granny Mei...I already do that stuff. I don't need her telling me when she's not even around." Ryoto frowned trying to think of something else. "And that's it."

"Sounds like she's looking out for you."

"She doesn't want me to bug her. She thinks I can't do anything 'cause I'm a kid. She won't tell me anything about mommy even…"

Shigaraki pressed the walkway button and Ryoto's hand held his sleeve to keep from getting seperated in the crowd. It was unexpected and Shigaraki flinched; Ryoto was too lost in his own thoughts to pay attention to the sudden lurch of his sister's 'friend'. Once they were safely across to the sidewalk, Shigaraki waited for Ryoto to let go of his sleeve; he wanted information, not to be some child's nanny.

"I won't be a kid forever though. Then Kaho will have to tell me."

"Why?"

"She promised." Ryoto said simply. "She never breaks her promise."

"Never?"

"Ever. Shigaraki-san, do you know why Kaho looks sad?"

"Can't say I do." Shigaraki kept his tone level and casual, but his senses were on alert as he waited for Ryoto to continue. In truth, he had no idea what the boy was talking about; he had made up the excuse of Kaho seeming troubled as a way to visit the two people he knew had the most dirt on her. Kids specifically tend to talk up a storm, especially when an adult bothered to listen; all he had to do was be patient and try not to force his sleeve from Ryoto's grip.

"I bet she wouldn't tell you. Or me." Ryoto's frown deepened. "Or anyone; but I'm not stupid. I'm stronger than I look too and I have a useful Quirk."

"Don't tell me you're planning on being a pro hero?" It was almost impossible to keep the derision out of his voice.

"Mhm. I'll make a lot of money, and I'll be a great fighter; I can swoop in and pick up villains, and drop them so they'll die."

Shigaraki kept his stare forward. _"This kid is really pushing it…and how twisted is that? Maybe he and Miss Dragon are closer than they think…"_

"And then Kaho will have to stop treating me like a kid."

"Yeah?"

"And I'll save her."

Shigaraki's eyes traveled to Ryoto's grin; it spread the width of his face, reassuring, confident, and unabashedly bright. It was disgustingly familiar.

"Save her?"

"Granny Mei won't tell me much, but she said Kaho saved me. I'll be a hero when I'm older, and I'll save her and help her smile for real."

 _"For real?"_

Shigaraki was the one who was frowning; now that he thought about it, he had never seen Kaho smile in such a way, like she was genuinely glad or having a good time.

 _"But aside from that, what else have I learned? Not a damn thing that could serve me any use…"_

"Shigaraki-san, do you think I can be that kind of hero?"

 _"If he says that word one more goddamn time-"_

"Oh, and can you help me?"

"With what?"

"Well, you like Kaho, so can you protect her until I'm big enough?" Ryoto spoke without batting an eye as Shigaraki stopped in his tracks. "What? You won't do it?"

"I'd do anything to your sister."

"Huh?"

"What?"

"To her? So, you mean you'd look out for her?"

Shigaraki wasn't sure if it was luck or fate that made it so Kaho came running down from the stairs of her building to meet them; she had on dark clothes that covered her from head to toe. It was clear she had only just arrived back.

"Shigaraki-san, what are you doing here?" Kaho asked; he was pleased that her tone wasn't hostile or suspicious, just confused. "Ryoto? Did you go off without telling-?"

"No, she said it was okay." Ryoto rolled his eyes.

Kaho ran a hand over her hair. "Damn...this is a bad time-"

"Fine."

"Ryo-hey, wait a minute! Ryoto, stop it!"

But her brother was already a few feet in the air and racing to the opposite direction; Shigaraki was almost impressed. The wings weren't even much bigger than the boy's body, but they took him to the skies and made him zoom through the air like a rocket.

"Ryoto!"

"Miss Dragon, you should realize he'll be home before you can even call his grandmother, and you surely aren't able to catch up." Shigaraki remarked as Kaho came to an abrupt halt, fully intending to chase her brother down; she didn't say anything. "I wanted to-"

Kaho stopped over to pick up the toy Ryoto dropped. "Let me guess, you were in the neighborhood? How many times have I asked you, 'what are you doing here' by now?" she sighed and turned to him with a tired half smile. "I'm surprised you didn't turn this to powder; I'm sure he was telling you all about how he plans to be a hero and all that."

"He did."

"Of course." Kaho nodded and surveyed the little figure of plastic. "Never cared much one way or the other myself."

"Ryoto-kun seemed very upset with you; he kept going on about you keeping things from him…"

"That can't be helped. It's for his own good."

"Imagine his reaction to all your secrets."

Kaho shot him a look. "And those secrets will be staying secret, won't they?"

"Certainly. I barely said a word the whole way; he just kept telling me all about wanting to be one of those damn pros, how he'd grow up and be just like them and save you. It made my stomach churn, but for your sake, I-"

Kaho pocketed the toy and smiled at him.

 _"Miss Dragon…"_

Shigaraki wanted to burn the image in his vision to keep in the back of his mind for him to look at all he wanted, because the smile she sent his way was beautiful. It was not the shamelessly obnoxious grin of All Might, full of false reassurance, or the naive bravado of her little brother's, or even her worn half grimace of strained patience or sly, knowing cynicism.

"He said that, huh?"

It was a flame, a little spark of warmth from her lips that had nothing to do with her Quirk; Kaho seemed to smile through her sharp, shining eyes. It was explicitly disarming. Shigaraki felt as though someone had punched him and sent his brain knocking around his skull and the air rushing from his lungs.

 _"I want it. I want to make it mine."_

As she left him standing there without so much as a wave goodbye, Shigaraki felt the weight of the knife press down on his chest, cold and hard against his warm and rapidly beating heart. His lined, twisted features became that much more defined and by his own unrepentant, ravenous grin.

 _"Make mine...mine...mine…"_


	10. Chapter 10

"Alright, so what brings you to my humble home? Or better yet," Kaho dropped her pleasant tone and raised an eyebrow as soon as she noticed Shigaraki had followed her inside. It was expected, though she couldn't say it was welcome. "Why did you go over to my grandmother's house? I take it you weren't looking for a recipe on a no bake casserole."

"We didn't reach the subject. I was actually on my way to see you and I thought maybe Ryoto-kun would like to join me; you know, you seem to barely tolerate his presence half the time though. Neglect is a kind of abuse."

"I don't neglect Ryoto. And Granny Mei called me and mentioned you were asking about me." Kaho shook her head. "I swear, that old bag never lets up…"

"That's a bit harsh, don't you think?"

"I don't want to hear that from someone like you. And it's true; everytime I come to drop off something she pesters and fusses about me living alone." Kaho rolled her eyes and mimicked a shaky, reprimanding voice. "'You'll be more safer in that area if people see a man is coming by regularly.' How come you're still single, you're not getting any younger, etc. etc. etc. I'm beginning to have a faint idea of why that bitch would want to leave and not hear another of Granny's lectures."

Shigaraki listened intently; it was unexpected hearing Kaho refer to someone with so much disdain in her voice. Then again, she didn't seem particularly troubled about killing her mother in cold blood anyway. Not that Shigaraki was disapproving; the righteous anger flashing in her eyes did things to him. He had no respect for those who let themselves feel attachment for people who didn't respect them as an equal. Kaho had no regrets for her actions, and he thought it was, to put it plainly, cool.

 _"In RP scenarios where the character has a rocky relationship with their family, typically the right response is the most sympathetic,"_ Shigaraki smiled vaguely as he watched her. _"But Miss Dragon isn't a woman to be pitied."_

He was saved the hassle from having to make further comment; Kaho was distracted, taking the Kamui Woods doll and looking around to find a suitable place to keep it for the time being. She didn't seem to think anything of him being there; Shigaraki stood at the threshold of the doorway, feeling out of place and a little more than uneasy.

This was the first time he had been in her apartment with just Kaho herself. None of his or her associates were present, no sudden interruptions or hidden agendas, just him standing inside her apartment and wondering what to do next.

 _"What the hell should I do?"_ Shigaraki pulled down the surgical mask over his chin, tugging it off with a snap. Kaho was leaving down the hallway, bag slung over her shoulder as she made her way to her room.

"I don't have much to eat, but help yourself if you're hungry." Kaho called over her shoulder. "I need to change. Don't come in."

Shigaraki frowned as she shut the door deftly, leaving him to his own devices.

 _"In the games the girl usually offers to make something...I'm kinda hungry. What does she have?"_ Shigaraki walked off to scrap something to together from the meager contents in the dented refrigerator. _"What is this? Most of this is alcohol and condiments...doesn't she have anything sweet? This stuff looks toxic…humble home? More like a dump"_

The whole place was sadly lackluster; the little furniture was decrepit and scratched, the appliances looked like they were at least a few days from breaking down, and the tile floors were cracking and loose under his shoes. Only the television and gaming system looked in decent shape, but the drifting fantasy of Kaho bringing him treats while he had a gaming marathon was dampened by the state of her living situation; she obviously didn't put much significance on domestic skills.

 _"But she did make that stir fry pretty easily enough...though I suppose that was only since her brother showed up. We were the ones who brought real food to make."_

As Shigaraki began searching through the barren cabinets for something to eat, he played with the idea of trying to get in Kaho's room while she was changing, but dismissed it just as fast. The thought didn't so much excite him as it made him feel more on pins and needles; his mind was very rarely preoccupied with such matters, but now his mind was plagued with thoughts that made him wake up at night covered in a layer of sweat and his whole body aching. It was unsettling. He detested most people for one reason or the other along with basically everything, and that included the suggestion of even touching someone without the purpose of reducing them to nothing.

He was embarrassed. It was just so hard to not reach out and lay his hands on her when the notion teased his already muddled mind; he remembered her mouth on his so vividly, how her scales stayed unharmed as his hand felt her warm cheek, her searching, sharp eyes. It made him chuckle how she was capable of thinking he wasn't completely willing to go so much further. It was enough to make him already feel a sense of entitlement to her touch. With a basic idea of what constituted a more advanced sort of relationship, it itched at his senses and thoughts, but he wanted to tread carefully.

Until Shigaraki felt more certain on how to go about approaching her, he didn't want to take any risks. He had a vague instinct that told him once he tried to touch her again, it would be his last real chance and he didn't want to screw it up after all the effort he had been putting into getting on Kaho's good side. If anything ruined his plan, he didn't know what he would do.

In theory, it wasn't so different from a child trying to obtain something they wanted, albeit a much more clever and slightly matured child. One who has some knowledge of the concept of how to get what they want will stop, think, and use a strategy, almost like an adult would. They will ask for that new toy or the sugar loaded snack with a simper and pleading eyes, knowing only that when someone asks nicely, it's usually enough. After all, it's one of the first rules of etiquette adults impress upon them; say please and thank you if you want to receive something.

Usually. When the child is still refused, this is the part that shows who the adults and who the child is. A child simply won't comprehend it; they did what they were supposed to, so why are they still not getting their way? At this stage, patience and planning is over and the tantrums and demands and sulking begins. They wanted something and they knew of no reason they should not have it.

Shigaraki felt his frustration grow as he waited and heated up a can of soup he hoped wasn't long expired despite the layer of dust on the top; with an impatient frown, he leaned against the refrigerator, watching the soup slowly come to a boil. Even the saucepan was dented and the bottom in serious need of scrubbing; the cupboards only held a couple of bowls, a few chipped mugs, packs of disposable chopsticks, and stacks of paper plates. It would definitely make housekeeping easier if she was simply able to toss out any mess she happened to make.

 _"Those hands probably haven't touched a sponge in months."_

Shigaraki switched off the stove top and licked his chapped lips. He thought of all the ways her hands were mostly likely put to use; pulling triggers, slicing tendons and veins, slamming into bones.

He thought of them on his body, his face, and wondered if they would be timid. Kaho was new to such things herself, so they were both at a disadvantage.

He thought of her calloused fingers roaming over his scarred, cracked face and that all too warm smile, so gentle and tender, he might just melt away into a pile of goo under her gaze as if she had set him on fire for real.

"Alright, I'm back." Kaho came sweeping through the short hallway and straight to the refrigerator for a beer. Her modest and layered black attire was changed out for a ratty tank top and cargo shorts, revealing considerably more skin than any of her clothes he had seen her in; that being said, the only times Shigaraki had seen her were when she was either coming from or going to 'work'. Her scales shone like polished silver from the bath and her hair was dripping out on the towel she wrapped around her neck.

When she turned around, Shigaraki's stare flicked back up to her face; with a look that said she knew exactly where his gaze had just been, Kaho gestured to the bowl of steaming soup. "Wow, I can't believe I still have that. Let me know if it went bad."

Shigaraki tried to give her a discreet once over as she tilted her head back to drink; but he noticed her arms and hands were in fact still covered up. "Are those bandages from me?"

Kaho looked confused for split second before she followed Shigaraki's eyes to her wrapped up hand holding the fridge door open. "Ah, yes actually. I usually use bandages for a better grip; sweaty palms and sensitive triggers don't mix well. These should be healed up." she flexed her fingers. "It's been a while since I changed them; I'm so used to wearing wraps, I suppose it slipped my mind."

Shigaraki ladled the soup into his mouth; it didn't go bad, but he didn't care for cooked vegetables and watery broth. Kaho set down her beer on the counter and found a pair of blunt kitchen scissors; she carefully cut the tape and began unwrapping the old bandages from her left hand.

"Oh. Well, they're...healed."

The flesh on her palms and pads of her fingers was slightly puffed and bright pink where his Quirk had managed to reach before she jerked away.

"It's a bit funny. I've never had an accident with my fire before; I have plenty of scars from other mishaps, but never a Quirk." Kaho examined the risen skin and made her hand into a fist over and over for a few seconds. "I'm lucky. They still work just fine, just a bit of soreness. Have you ever thought of a career in my field Shigaraki?" she smiled wryly. "You'd have quite a future."

"I'll pass."

Kaho shrugged. "So, just why did you want to interrogate my grandmother? I'll say this, you put on a convincing front; neither of them are any the wiser. But I don't see why you feel the need to dig up more information on me. Don't you have enough?"

"No. I want to know more about you."

"...I guess just trying to have a conversation with me didn't cross your mind?"

Shigaraki stared at her and sipped the broth without expression.

Kaho sighed. "What did she tell you anyway?"

"About how you brought your brother there and didn't contact them directly until a year later. I never would have seen you as the mysterious benefactor type."

"Mysterious? They know who I am."

"They know you about as well as I do." Shigaraki countered. "Not that I'm complaining; if you were to join the League of Villains, it'd be in your best interest to have a little connection to the outside world as possible."

"Why, so it's easier to brainwash and manipulate those thugs and desperate loners you control?" Kaho asked with thinly veiled impatience; Ryoto's behavior, her last job, her sore hands, and now this delusional man was crossing a line and trying to worm his way into her personal life for reasons she partially didn't care to fathom.

"Shigaraki, why do you want anything to do with me? I don't have respect for your goals, I barely have respect for you. You obviously believe I'm a cold hearted witch with zero morals and no direction who can hardly function. Call me crazy, but I don't see the attraction. I mean, I can't be that good looking."

Kaho popped the tab from the opening of a new beer and took a swig, hoping the alcohol would do it's work and quick. "Why do you want to know about me even? You don't strike me as the curious type. And with how you're acting with Ryoto?"

When Shigaraki failed to answer, Kaho fixed him with a cynical look. "Is this whole thing just so you can convince me to join your League? Are you such a sore loser you would use underhanded tactics to make me want to go with you?"

"That's not why."

With a loud clatter, the spoon Shigaraki had been using was tossed to the chipped floor, hitting a tile squarely and cracking it right in half. Before Kaho could vocalize her reproach, he slammed the barely touched bowl of soup on the counter, taking a few steps forward with a downright nasty snarl.

"You're not listening Miss Dragon. You're wrong, wrong, wrong!"

The last exclamation was punctuated as Shigaraki slammed his hand into the wall just a few inches over Kaho's head; until that moment, not even when he kissed her drunkenly or held her captive or walked beside her, had she noticed how much he towered over her. She felt a tense spike of panic that rattled her teeth as he leaned in, his own bared almost like a rabid beast as he rasped out his reply.

"I'm not some stupid brat. I know exactly what you think of me. But isn't that just more proof of why...why I…"

Shigaraki swallowed and stared straight into her eyes; Kaho made no move lest he lose his temper and strike, yet she felt no sense of urgency or fear. His eyes were crazed, but they didn't shine with the intent to kill as they roamed her face.

"I want to know you. But it's taking too long...I want you to like me now. Yet I can say without a doubt you don't hate me though. I know I'm right. When we first met, I was ready to kill you...I thought you were looking down on me; maybe that was part of it, but wasn't it more? Is that why you've been so forgiving with me, even when you're about fed up? You're not completely gone yet Miss Dragon."

"I...not what?"

"You saw a connection between us, didn't you? In your own cruel way, you wanted to reach out to me. You knew just how I thought, even if you didn't agree...even if you find me detestable or childish or...ugly."

Kaho trembled as Shigaraki lifted a finger to trace her jawline; up close, she could see every line, every cracked patch of skin. His breath was hot and smelled stale as it fanned out on her face.

"How did you do that, come out of it all so clean? It really pisses me off. And then you go and act untouchable…"

No one was special. Everyone was selfish and concerned for themselves first and foremost, it was just human nature to want to survive. Everyone dies. In theory, no one was worth dying over, much less putting their own wellbeing first. It was just not necessary, but heroes still gave false hopes and unrealistic expectations of how the world worked; those who were

"You ruined your hands, your livelihood, and what for? To keep an enemy from carving out their own neck? You're no stranger to death Miss Dragon and you're certainly no hero. I doubt you had such a weak stomach that could prevent you from letting me dig my own grave."

"I wasn't thinking-"

"Exactly." Shigaraki cut her off. "For whatever foolish reason, your first instinct was to make me stop when I was seconds away from melting your flesh of your bones."

But even so, if someone as self serving and warped as her could see more in his anger and disdain, maybe it could mean something. In a few uttered words, Kaho had seen him in a way no one else had, maybe not even his Sensei. If she truly desired, she could fight. She could burn him now, make a quick escape and grab Ryoto and hide him; it might be a futile attempt, but it wouldn't be the first long shot she had followed through on. A starving twelve year old girl with nothing but a small knife and an infant and her own nerves to keep her from falling would surely be much more able as a seasoned, fully grown killer.

But here he was, fingers tracing her scales and she wasn't making a move to stop him.

"It's not fair, after you so insensitively probed your way into my mind; so I want to know what makes you tick...what makes you smile...what makes your blood race….what you think about me…"

Kaho's eyes followed his fingers as they stroked down her neck, four at a time; his shallow breathing and creaking voice were the only sound she could hear.

"Maybe I was too pushy? I just can't get back to my work with so many questions unanswered; I can't seem to think of anything else for too long. It's a bit of a nuisance really."

Shigaraki would tear down the present and carry out his Sensei's will in his absence. No one would be exempt from the world he envisioned; no one would be spared, but everyone would know just as he did that the kind of flimsy justice they believed in was little more than a prettily packaged lie. No one was special.

"Do you like me yet Miss Dragon?" Shigaraki looked down and took her wrist in his light grip. "I thought you said you weren't going to hold that nasty business before against me? It was awfully generous of you to do...so I didn't mind not going through with killing you. But it's not enough for me."

"You fool. I told you already exactly how I felt, but you're not even listening. It was a whim, nothing more. I couldn't love anyone besides Ryoto, much less you."

"Then why did you save me?"

"Dammit, why can't you drop it? I. Don't. Know. Okay?! I don't know, maybe I felt sorry for you!" Kaho looked ready to bite him should he come closer. "How couldn't I? It was obvious you were like me!"

Her expression was as if she had been slapped. Shigaraki regarded her with a keen eye.

No one was special and no one was above being hurt. Kaho had taken what she felt was hers through force and blood and anger. The second her mother planned to try to sell Ryoto was too much; she would not let him know that pain. She would not let anyone ruin him.

She felt no remorse for her actions; her mother was the one at fault, trying to lend her own daughter out, even having the gall to be furious when Kaho managed to use her Quirk to save herself from violation. Until that day when she had struggled under a grown man's looming figure, a man whose face she could not even recall, Kaho had never killed another living being. It was simple; she had something she wanted to protect, so she did so. No one would do it for her.

"Don't look as if it was a compliment...people like us are a part of the problem."

Shigaraki frowned. "Don't lose your nerve on me-"

"Shut up. Did I say I regret it? I don't. I'm glad I killed that bitch. I'd do it again if I could." Kaho's icy glare made it look as if she had the upper hand, even though she was at his mercy. "But I won't pretend. I won't presume to know better; I do what I have to. Nothing more, nothing less. I don't see why you're keeping this up; just leave me alone, get a whore if you want to-"

"Like your 'girlfriend'? I must warn you Miss Dragon, if you were planning on mentioning her, I would advise against it. I'm not in the best mood right now to stay calm thinking of that filthy woman going anywhere near you."

Kaho's mouth snapped shut at Shigaraki's piercing glare. She realized in that moment why he seemed so up and down at her traces of humanity; it would seem Shigaraki was perfectly fine with her still having standards and the ability to care for someone other than herself. He just didn't want her to do this for anyone else. She remembered the disdain in his voice when Kumiko was brought up and how she mistook it as disapproval for her chosen profession and her admittedly grating cheerfulness.

It hit her harder than taking the butt of a gun to the head, this idea that Shigaraki wanted to be someone special to her.

"You're crazy." Kaho turned away pointedly. "You haven't heard a word I said. And you're immature. You need to grow up and stop acting like the world owes you something."

"Don't change the subject." Shigaraki said lowly. "On second thought, I do want to ask you something."

Kaho let her gaze meet his own tentatively. "What?"

She sucked in a breath silently as he moved back and slowly brought her arms up to survey with a sulking frown; he held them delicately by the wrists, his pinky fingers sticking out slightly on one hand while the other was free to touch her whole wrist.

"I don't like them like this. You have to promise to not be stupid and think carefully when I'm near you. I don't want a repeat incident."

Shigaraki stared her down, waiting for her to speak.

"Yeah. Me neither."

"And another thing...you value Ryoto-kun's safety more than anyone's don't you?"

"Yes."

"If you were working with heroes, you could get some form of protection automatically. Would you ever consider doing such a thing?"

"No. I wouldn't want to do things their way. It's too complicated."

Shigaraki seemed pleased. "Then why not I hire you exclusively? Now hold on before you answer Miss Dragon, think about what I'm offering. I can guarantee, whatever you would make from your odd jobs is nothing to what I would give you for compensation."

"The money isn't worth it." Kaho answered tersely. "Shigaraki, your League is public enemy number one right now; people are waiting and watching to see what your next move is going to be after what happened with All Might. I don't want to be involved in a group where activity is going to be monitored so closely; I'm a small fry, no one even knows my face. If I take you up, I risk losing that security and flexibility to move on my own. I don't even believe in whatever cause you people are for; I just want to make easy money and keep out of this nonsense."

"Your Granny and Ryoto-kun didn't recognize me. Our name is becoming more notorious, but we still have the benefit of being relatively anonymous as a whole organization, at least for the time being. Miss Dragon, you honestly don't think I'd be so foolish as to charge in without a plan, to risk my numbers?"

Kaho looked at his fingers stroking the skin of her scarred palm. "Maybe not. But the fact of the matter is-"

"And while we may not be great in numbers just yet, we have some of the most powerful individuals with the most useful Quirks on our side. I've found quality over quantity is working a lot better for my purposes these days, and while our reputation grows, so will the number of people who want to sign up." Shigaraki lifted her arm and rubbed his bare cheek lightly on the back of her left hand. "And you would have our protection. If anything were to happen, I would make sure the first priority is to get you and your little brother to safety, though I doubt anything would befall him. Those self righteous heroes wouldn't attack them for information on you or me anyway."

Kaho narrowed her eyes at him but made no comment on his actions. "I...I can't risk Ryoto knowing. I…"

"He won't. I promise, if you accept my offer, you will be under my protection. And hey, you wouldn't even have to worry about getting assignments you feel the need to turn down either. You'd only have one job."

"I knew it. You revolting pig, who do you take me for?"

Once she snatched her hand away with these biting words, Kaho felt her anger falter momentarily at the look on Shigaraki's face.

"Miss Dragon...why are you treating me this way? Haven't I done enough to make you trust me?"

"Trust is definitely a stretch." Kaho countered, albeit with a more subdued tone. "Fine. If that's not what you're after, than what is this job you're going on about?"

"I want you to be my bodyguard."

Kaho sincerely wanted to laugh. "Bodyguard? You must be joking."

"Why would I be?"

"Well for starters, I highly doubt you need one as a man who can kill with one touch if he wanted to. If anything, the gun for hire profession would be right up your alley. And besides, don't you have people like Kurogiri to do that already?"

"He would be free to give attention to more pressing aspects of our plans. You're more than strong enough for extra security and you don't hesitate to go in for the kill; a lot of my subordinates like to take risks or play with their food anyway."

"I can imagine."

"Ah, but here's the best part!" Shigaraki said with what could have been a childishly excited smile, but his gaunt and cracked skin made him look more like a grinning ghoul ready to feast. "You would be with me 24/7, work for me alone, and I would be the only one allowed to give you assignments. You can move out of this dump, since you'd need to be nearby me at all times."

Kaho was dumbfounded as Shigaraki looked downright tickled at the idea of them spending so much time together.

"This way I won't be so distracted either, since you'll be right there. You'll still be able to see your family on occasion and send money, but only if I find the time to go with."

 _"Why...does this sound like compensated dating…?"_

"So, what do you say Miss Dragon?"

Kaho considered everything he had said; it was true that a more reliable source of income, and a greater one at that, was desirable. And for whatever reasons, Shigaraki seemed completely honest when he offered the League of Villains as a means of protecting her from the authorities.

 _"If I do this...I won't see Ryoto much at all, even less than I do now. But then, isn't that for the best? Isn't that what I've been trying to do, to keep him safe and away from all this? And Shigaraki is offering me the means to accomplish the only goal I ever had."_

"...alright. First we talk about compensation." Kaho said. "And before I go off with you, I need to make up a story to explain to Ryoto and Granny why I won't be around the area."

"Tell them you're moving in with your boyfriend."

Kaho blinked. "Actually...that would work. Yeah," she stood up straight and paced to the kitchen with a thoughtful look. "That's perfect. They've met you already, and Granny was just bugging me about this sort of thing. If she thought I was moving to live with a man, then she wouldn't even bother to contact me as much. And Ryoto likes you, so he won't be too upset about it...this could actually work. And I'll just say I was able to relocate for my work; it's a perfect cover Shigaraki."

"I thought so." Shigaraki watched as she paced and concocted just how she would go about explaining her new living situation. "I think a thank you might be in order."

"Hm? Oh, sure." Kaho paused to kiss his cheek lightly. "I can't call her tonight, it would look weird if I just got done telling her I wanted to be alone. I suppose a week would be best, and I'll have to make sure to leave without anyone following my trail. I can leave everything as it is, I only need my guns and some clothes."

"I was actually thinking something along the lines of a verbal thanks…" Shigaraki yanked his hood over his smiling face. "Miss Dragon, you do flatter me."

"Huh? What are you doing just standing there mumbling to yourself?" Kaho put her hands on her hips. "And how much am I getting paid exactly?"


	11. Chapter 11

"Hey, hey, have you really kissed guys to death?"

"Yes."

"What about girls?"

"I-"

"Toga, don't you have something better to do?" Dabi yawned and crossed his legs as he got comfortable on the couch; Toga was bouncing on the arm rest, her eyes glued to Kaho's impassively polite face.

"I'm just being friendly." Toga pouted playfully. "You should try it sometime."

"Pass."

Kaho kept her hands in her lap; she wished she could wear her mask. Everyone was eyeing her like some rare specimen _. "I don't see why they're so curious or even why I have to be formally introduced."_

"What's with the scales? You get the rest peeled off?" Spinner guffawed as he sharpened his blade diligently.

"No. What's the with the Stain cosplay?"

"This is my costume! I have devoted myself to Stain's ideals, and-"

"Okay, we've heard! I haven't! Yes we have, we already-"

Dabi sighed as Twice went off on a rant of mumbles and exclamations in his own corner; Toga giggled as Kaho blinked and seemed to try to make sense of Twice's ramblings.

"I'm surprised. Shigaraki doesn't seem that partial to Stain, but it looks like a good chunk of the League are fans." Kaho commented. "It makes me wonder if you all have the same goal in mind."

"You could say that." Dabi replied, his sunken in eyes regarding her with apathy and he offered no more explanation.

Kaho looked to Toga. "Are you really in high school? I imagine it would be hard to keep up with school work with your...extracurricular activities."

"Oh you think so? I stopped wasting time there a while ago, but I'm having the time of my life here; maybe I'll even get to see Deku soon..." Toga smiled and batted her eyes. "I want to see him carved up again…"

"Deku? What kind of name is that?"

"It's the codename of one of those U. A. students." Spinner offered. "Shigaraki is keeping an eye on him, among others that seem close to All Might; he was the kid Stain judged to live up to the standards of a real hero, so if possible, I wouldn't mind also leaving him alive."

 _"These people are actually more warped than me. At least I don't get my kicks from shooting people in the head...usually."_

"Dragon Lady, can we know your name now since you're one of us?" Toga asked sweetly.

"I guess at this point it doesn't really matter. It's Kaho Ryu. Feel free to call me whatever you like, as long as we're not in public or in a place likely to be monitored." Kaho told her.

"Kaho-chan! That's cute! Hey, so what's it like kissing to death? Do you pull back as soon as they're on fire, or do you wait until they've melted?"

"Normally I just shoot them. It's cleaner."

Dabi slid his eyes to her. "What are you doing here?"

"Shigaraki hired me to be his bodyguard." Kaho answered simply; she could have sworn they already knew that though.

"So you're just here for money then." Dabi's dull tone reflected a hint of dismissal.

"Yes."

"Well you can't be counted on."

"Why would you say that?"

Dabi scoffed softly. "People like you who only care about money and your own gains...you have no loyalties to anyone but yourselves."

"I have a loyalty to Shigaraki. And you, if he tells me to help you as well." Kaho said. "You can count on me. As long as I get paid. Besides, aren't you all here to get something you want? Well, I want money."

"I want to sleep-no, it's only the middle of the day!" Twice smacked his cheeks. "But I'm tiiiired! We have to stay here for the meeting!"

"...he might want some therapy." Kaho turned back to Toga, seeing as how she seemed to be the easiest to talk to and get answers from. "Where is Shigaraki? He told me one of my duties is to stay by him, but when I arrived Kurogiri told me to go to this room."

"I'm not sure. I think he's getting freshened up." Toga giggled.

Kaho was about to ask what was so funny, but her phone began to ring. "What the…? Oh. Excuse me, is it alright if I go outside the room to take this?"

"Who do you need to talk to in private?" Dabi asked, making it very plain he was suspicious.

"It's one of my clients. Confidentiality is an issue with my work, so forgive me if I don't give their name out; can I take this? I should let my clients know I can't take jobs from them as of now."

"Fine, but don't do a disappearing act on us Dragon Lady, or you'll regret it." Mr. Compress told her. "You have your reasons for being here, but we need to make sure you won't run off and betray us before you even began your duties."

"Yes, I understand. I'll just be outside, please excuse me."

Kaho shut the door behind her and walked a few paces to the side; she had missed the first call from Ryoto, but now he was calling a second time.

"Kaho?"

"Hey, what's up? Did you get the rent-"

"Where are you?"

Kaho paused. "I'm on break. I only have a few minutes-"

"Granny Mei said you moved. Why didn't you tell me?"

"Granny said she would tell you; I only had so much time to relocate."

"How long are you going to be gone?"

Kaho leaned back against the wall and swallowed; Ryoto's voice was hard and quivering.

"I'm living here now. Look Ryoto, I'm sorry this was sudden, but this really isn't a good time, I have to-"

"It's never a good time."

Kaho recoiled and turned the volume down on the phone.

"Are you ever coming back?"

"When I have the time."

"So never."

"That's not fair."

"You're not fair!" As childish as it sounded, Ryoto's reasoning wasn't. "You're never around and now you just leave us? You said you would try to visit soon, you promised, you said you-"

"Ryoto, that's enough. Do you know how the world works? Do you realize everything costs something? Granny can't manage it alone, and last time I checked you're a decade off being able to work a stable job. What do you expect? For me to just drop everything? To let you starve? Do you think I enjoy-?"

Kaho stopped; the other line went dead. She turned off her phone with a resigned sigh and put it in her pocket. Ryoto had never hung up on her before.

She felt angry. It wasn't fair, but what did Ryoto really know about it? Him who always had her looking out for him, who because of her sacrifices was able to live peacefully as he did. He should be grateful for all she did, should be thanking her, not throwing tantrums because she worked so hard and couldn't always visit.

Kaho chuckled humorlessly. _"Who am I kidding? I know exactly what I'm doing...but if it keeps him safe…"_

She wiped the corners of her eyes swiftly and took a deep breath to gather her nerves.

"…what a poor excuse I am for a sister." Kaho smiled wryly. "Maybe I do belong in a place like this."

Shigaraki had actually wanted to go with her to sell her story about moving in with him, but she decided the best course of action was through a phone call. She suspected his motives were to make certain she would not back out of the deal.

Kaho went back inside the room just in time to see a portal open behind the bar and Shigaraki step out of it; their eyes met and even with the hand plastered to his face, she could see his wide leering grin.

"There you are Miss Dragon. I'm sorry if I kept you waiting, I was taking care of a few things. There's been a recent upset with a-what did you call him Mr. Compress? A relic."

Kaho frowned and looked to Mr. Compress. "A relic?"

"Something like that. You see Dragon Lady, I've sustained some damage from a very dangerous fool." Mr. Compress' tone went considerably dark. "In addition, one of our own has been lost."

Kaho immediately felt the change in the room; Toga's smile dropped and Twice's ramblings ceased as he turned his attention to the group. Even Dabi and Spinner had sour faced expressions at the mention.

"Oh. I'm sorry." Kaho replied. "What do you mean a relic?"

"Have you ever heard of the yakuza Miss Dragon?"

Kaho nodded and Shigaraki's solemn look lightened up a fraction.

"Not bad for someone who never went to school."

"I can read a bit at the very least." Kaho countered with a wry smile. "But yes, I know of them. I was hired once a few years back actually, those types tend to keep their dealings discreet, so they like using people like me who are under the radar."

Kaho felt the mood shift once more; Shigaraki's eyes narrowed and he was looking at her strangely.

"What's wrong?"

"Dragon Lady, you said you got hired by one?" Spinner spoke up before anyone had a chance. "You mean for a hit?"

"Sure. It was a pretty easy job, but the result was messy. My target was resilient if nothing else." Kaho recalled. "He had this Quirk where he used his blood to-well, shoot bullets."

"Blood?! Tell me more!" Toga nearly pushed Kaho off her seat in her haste to sit next to her.

"Um, well he was able to hardened liquids; he would use his own blood as a last resort, but the impact was lethal. And by the end of it, the place I had him cornered was smeared in blood and guts."

"Guts?"

"I burned a hole through his stomach. I kept trying to close the wounds he would make with my fire so he wouldn't get anymore access. Then I decided it'd just be easier to burn him alive." Kaho said. "Apparently he was making some waves for this group, being real disrespectful, but the yakuza didn't want to get his hands dirty. But I was paid a decent sum, so I didn't mind."

"What was his name?"

Kaho shrugged. "I don't know, he wouldn't say."

Shigaraki stared at her.

"Is something the matter?"

"Dragon Lady, what did this yakuza look like?"

"I don't know. He had on a plague doctor mask."

Shigaraki was so fast, Kaho hardly processed it when he showed up in front of her, his profile a looming shadow.

"You took a job from that gangster trash?"

"I'm guessing you're all familiar with him." Kaho stated as she scanned them room; their silence said everything.

"You worked for him."

"So? Shigaraki, I take jobs from anyone who has the money, relics or otherwise." Kaho was beginning to lose her patience. "At any rate, this was years ago, and it was just one contract; you act as if I went to dinner with the guy."

"I couldn't care less." Shigaraki spat. "But make no mistake, you won't be taking jobs from him or anyone else. Your only duty is to me. Got it?"

Kaho averted her eyes. "You need to stop blurting out things when you're angry. You'll give people the wrong idea."

Shigaraki looked down at Toga. "Move. I'm sitting there."

Toga's smile faltered just barely; not that she would refuse, she did jump up and sit near Twice by the bar counter instead, but she was a bit surprised. He never sat next to anyone.

Shigaraki plopped down beside to Kaho as casually as he could; he wondered if she noticed their thighs were touching slightly.

"And don't give me that lazy look. You're supposed to be on alert."

"I am. Shigaraki, could you please scoot over? I don't think this seat isn't even big enough for two people."

"Deal with it. Now tell me, what do you know about that Overhaul bastard?"

"Nothing." Kaho replied. "He wanted me to kill this guy and I did; he sent me the money through one of his subordinates. I only ever met him once for him to pass on the details of the target, and that was in a building marked to get torn down. He was very careful and methodical about the whole deal….and…"

"What?"

Kaho crossed her legs and looked contemplative. "He was odd."

"Odd?" Dabi was the one to speak up.

"Yes...I only ever read about yakuza, but to meet one of them was something else. And...well, he made chills go up my spine honestly. If he wanted to, I have no doubt he would have completed the job himself; suppose it was too insignificant to bother with personally. How he carried himself, how seriously he took the name of his syndicate. It was admirable, for someone who's basically part of a dying breed, how much pride he still had." Kaho frowned. "So what does he want with you guys?"

"He wanted us to be his underlings." Spinner scoffed. "As if I'd ever do anything for that despicable criminal."

"He killed Magne...we have to get him back!" Twice exclaimed and Toga nodded furiously, her eyes shining with a cold glint at the prospect. "Shigaraki came up with a plan for us to infiltrate-"

"Hold on. Is it wise to be talking about this in front of her?"

Kaho turned to Dabi. "You don't have to let me in on the details if you feel uneasy, just as long as it's not on a need to know basis that would affect my work. I'm only here to protect Shigaraki."

Shigaraki was glad his hand was covering his face. "Miss Dragon, I'm happy you understand that. You'll be close by me until things settle down; this yakuza guy is bad news, so we need to stick together, yeah? We'll let Toga and Twice carry out their part of the plan, and once they're successful, we come in. We'll get our revenge."

"Whatever you say." Kaho told him with a half smile. "Hm, I'm surprised. That's awfully considerate to give them a chance to get back at Overhaul for what he did."

"You think so?" Shigaraki rasped, but it was evident he was pleased at her offhand comment.

"Yeah. He's fighting a losing battle if you ask me."

"Exactly."

The tension that had filled the room almost seemed to lift before Shigaraki placed a hand on Kaho's hair for what couldn't have been longer than three seconds.

"I bet you're glad to be with me instead of that nobody, right Miss Dragon?"

Kaho sighed and scratched her scales. "Come on, I thought I was just supposed to be extra muscle, not play twenty questions."

"I would hope you don't prefer to work for his sort. If that was true, I might just call off the plan and go after him myself. But you wouldn't want to indirectly put me in needless danger, would you?"

"I'm working for you now, aren't I?" Kaho wondered if Shigaraki would always be so demanding when he thought her attentions were elsewhere. _"I am not getting paid enough for this."_

Dabi watched her from the corner of his eyes.


	12. Chapter 12

There were a few things Kaho realized she would need to become accustomed to with her new occupation as Shigaraki Tomura's bodyguard.

One was the fact that when he was not busy with the league, he would more often than not preoccupy himself with games; sometimes he would even challenge her to the family friendly board game or a round of cards. But mainly he was engaging himself in a one player video console while she watched.

According to him, these pursuits served a few uses, ones that Kaho was actually able to observe herself due to having to be by his side the majority of the day and night; first there was the fact they seemed to actually relax him to the point Shigaraki seemed almost zoned out. On that note, playing his games also served as a sort of mental exercise; the more Kaho watched him, she found many of these games required problem solving, strategy, being able to memorize, paying attention to details, and overall strict concentration. Kaho herself noticed that not once had all of Shigaraki's fingers ever touched the controllers; she surmised herself that these sessions were some sort of exercise in self restraint and mindfulness of where his fingers were placed and whether he could remember do keep one off the plastic even as his mind became absorbed in his game play.

This was all well and good, but the thing was, Kaho had no idea why she had to be there for it; after all, she had found out shortly after being hired that the other members of the League of Villains did not in fact cohabitat. They were becoming more and more well know as time went on and the population became fearful of their looming threat due to All Might's defeat; it made sense that they would go off on their own to who knows where for security reasons, not to mention to spread out and find more numbers to recruit. Giran had contacted Kaho once he had heard she was out of the gun for hire game and told her how self identified villains, thugs, and even Stain enthusiasts were becoming bolder and searching for a place to gather. The League of villains was developing into the go-to organization for criminals everywhere, and Giran thought it was smart of her to abandon her underground status while the iron was hot. Kaho decided not to divulge the details of her 'recruitment'.

One of these details was that she alone was being made to live in the same area as Shigaraki; admittedly Kurogiri was nearly always at his side as well, but even he was given permission to conduct assignments on his own, though Kaho never really knew what. Shigaraki told her she need not concern herself too much over his plans, as they were not essential to her primary duty; that, and if she was captured, she would not be able to give out much information and might even be let off a bit easier due to not technically being a villain herself. Kaho was more of a villain by proxy.

Even with her skepticism of her new living arrangements, Kaho learned to adapt easily enough; when Shigaraki ate, she ate. When he went somewhere, she followed. When he slept, she would stay up and be on the lookout; Shigaraki conveniently seemed to nap more than actually sleep, which helped it so she wasn't deprived, though she couldn't help wonder how this pattern threw off his mental health. When Kurogiri returned from whatever his business was, Kaho was allowed to rest, though she kept her gun close at hand at all times, locked and loaded.

Her own schedule had never been very full of things outside of her job; the only things Kaho did outside of that were grabbing quick meals from less than nutritional sources, drop off money at her grandmother's, visit Ryoto briefly, do maintenance on her weapons, and sleep. The only activity that could remotely count as a hobby was her work out routine, but even this was mainly done for keeping her strength consistently at a level that allowed her to fight in hand to hand combat should the need come up.

That morning Kaho slammed her fists over and over into the punching bag Kurogiri had graciously allowed her to set up in Shigaraki's game room, along with a mat for doing her stretches and a few free weights. It surprised her that Shigaraki himself had no qualms about this set up at all; when she went through her routine, he was not phased in the slightest, continuing his game or even his naps while she wailed on the bag and did her crunches. Perhaps he approved that she was keeping herself in top form for her job, or maybe his concentration was that good.

Kaho finished her set and breathed in and out slowly as she undid her sweat dampened wraps off her hands. "I'm going to change, don't look."

Shigaraki's eyes were glued to the screen in front of him. "Okay."

Kaho looked at the clean set of clothes on the futon she had been given; in fact, the clothes were not her own, at least not ones she had brought with her from her apartment.

As someone whose objective included remaining in the shadows in both a literal and metaphorical sense, Kaho's wardrobe consisted of pretty much exclusively black, or at least very dark, plain fabrics. Her scales were unfortunately stood out, particularly at night, so Kaho also made it a priority to wear long sleeves, pants, boots, a mask, and a good smearing of charcoal on her face to hide any noticeable marks. It was comfortable, provided a way for her to keep her identity secret, and was practical for keeping inconspicuous. Her new uniform was admittedly not too different than her typical clothes; dark, void of flashy designs, easy to move around in, and she was even given a belt with two holsters and an extra pouch.

The combination of a sleeveless top and shorts were very much different. When Kaho pointed out that it made her highly visible scales stand out that much more, Shigaraki dismissed her concerns; it hardly mattered whether they were bared or not, especially when she was now affiliating with notorious villains.

"You know how important it is I'm not recognized."

"As if your little brother watches the news."

"If the heroes know my identity, they'll go to Mei to question her."

"Do you honestly think they'd bother interrogating a seven year old or that your granny would let him know what you were doing behind their backs? She's understandably kept everything else secret from him."

Kaho knew he had a point. If there was one thing she and Mei could see eye to eye on, it was that Ryoto was someone they wanted no harm to come to; she didn't want him to know a thing about his lowlife mother or father, and Kaho certainly didn't want her little brother to be even slightly aware of the gory details that even their grandmother wasn't aware of.

None of it really mattered anyway; a long time ago Kaho had resigned herself to the fact Ryoto was another person she could only keep so close to her, that someday, she would have to distance herself completely. Ryoto would grow up sooner than she realized, and when the time came he would know some things didn't add up about her job; chances are he would eventually recognize Shigaraki's face and come to the realization just who his big sister had been hanging around.

Kaho had no practical reason to believe it was worth the trouble of keeping anonymous at this point; with the money she was being given, she would even be able to save up enough for Ryoto to go to college and have a decent savings, especially since her own expenses were meager. She would no longer need to visit periodically when she could easily provide the money they'd need in just a few payments. When Kaho had questioned Shigaraki just where these funds were coming from, he simply patted her hair and told her not to worry about it as it didn't relate to what she was there to do.

Kaho learned to just not ask so many questions; it was just less of a hassle to let Shigaraki do as he pleased. Still, when she had first looked at her uniform, Kaho couldn't help wonder just what unspoken duties Shigaraki may have had in mind when he had presented the clothes to her.

Lucky, this time no inquiries were needed; that very day when Shigaraki had requested her to sit next to him as he went over some documents that detailed various professional heroes Quirks and other hopefully useful intel, Kaho had almost not felt his fingers tracing the small of her back where a rather large patch of scales covered her skin. They traced each little ridge so lightly, it was a wonder Kaho had even come to realize they were there.

She said nothing and a few seconds later, Shigaraki's hand was back to flipping the pages of his file.

She also said nothing as his hand found the several other patches now exposed from her uniform; her knee, her shoulder, her arms, her hand, even her cheek. The touches were brief, yet lingering, gentle, yet unnerving. Shigaraki never did anything more than let his fingers graze her or his whole hand settle down on her depending on which patch of scales would allow it. Sometimes he would even trace her unprotected skin, albeit with much more hesitance and only a few fingers at a time.

Kaho never said anything for a few reasons; firstly, she imagined Shigaraki was acting in very much the way a child might upon discovering a new, fascinating toy. He never went any farther or even attempted to impose another forceful kiss on her like that one night; perhaps he didn't know how to do such a thing sober. Kaho knew he had been able to touch anyone in such a way before.

 _"Is that what all this if from? Because of that?"_

Kaho slipped on her shirt as Shigaraki kept his back to her, his eyes firmly on the bright screen; his fingers rapidly pressed the buttons in an almost synchronized way, in a pattern he seemed to almost know by heart, as he never seemed to need to look down at the keys.

His face had been so earnest that day, that day he had told her of his interpretation of her words to him; she had picked apart his motivations, a shot in the dark that only seemed specific. Deep down Kaho did have an hunch his convictions stemmed from events not too different than her own circumstances. It was all too often tragedy and hardship warped and shaped and manipulated humans into the monster the world came to fear, individuals who only spread more misery and evil in the course of their lives.

 _"I've been nothing but truthful to him, haven't I?"_

Kaho never meant to give him any ideas about those words meaning anything more than a flippant and slightly mocking surmise of Shigaraki being little more than a stunted child in a young man's body, taking his rage at being forsaken out on a world he felt owed him something. Maybe it wasn't as she said, or maybe there was some truth in it; from his initially wrathful reaction to it, Kaho felt it safe to say there was at least a bit of truth. A man didn't try to kill someone from empty statements; she had struck a nerve and it had made him hate her.

In hindsight, it was all very funny how quickly his feelings had changed the moment she had shown him a thoughtless act of consideration, as it was indeed thoughtless; if she had been thinking straight, she would have at least not lifted a finger to stop Shigaraki from his clawing at the revelation his attempt to kill her had failed.

But then, it had saved her; after all, if Kaho had allowed him to do as he pleased, Shigaraki most likely wouldn't have actually harmed himself lethally, and once he gained his senses, would have realized he could turn her to dust as long as he touched her bare skin. It was her instincts that had inadvertently spared her his anger; instead she had earned something much worse, for whatever her decisions from this moment forward, it had been made plain Shigaraki would not allow her too far from his grasp.

 _"My instincts...why though? Why would I do that when my first response to anyone else would have been to finish them off myself? Am I getting soft?"_

And she couldn't help mull over just why Kaho didn't feel the urge to burn off his hands every time they grazed her skin; it could have been since she didn't sense any real ill intent behind them. Shigaraki's absent, fleeting caresses were odd in the sense that he seemed to be doing it to make sure she was still there. That was the second reason she allowed them; natural wariness aside, she felt certain that the last thing Shigaraki wanted to do was actually harm her.

 _"But...I am still okay with it...well, it's not like I'm used to people touching me without trying to pick my pockets or punch my face in. It's…"_

Kaho zipped her shorts and buttoned them; after running a hand to smooth down a few flyaway strands of hair, she looked at her profile in the mirror and grimaced.

"What's wrong?"

Kaho looked to Shigaraki. "Were you staring?"

"I heard the zipper."

Kaho said nothing.

"What's wrong?"

"It's nothing really, just strange." Kaho turned from the mirror; she stared down at her abs and legs absently. "I look a bit silly."

Marks from bullets grazing her flesh, round and slightly caved in, long healed over cuts now a bright pink slashes from knives, and even a burn or two, not from her own Quirk though. Kaho didn't see how Shigaraki could get anything from her showing off so much skin; she was at least in better shape than he was. Once she had come in when he was changing, shirt just coming down to cover his thin shoulders and a stomach where his ribs could easily be counted. Kaho knew if it came to a one on one fight, no Quirks, she could overpower him easily.

 _"No wonder he wants extra protection."_

Kaho wished she could be a bit more proud of her own physique, but it only served as another reminder of the life she had chosen.

The one that was keeping her from the only person she cared about.

"Shigaraki, can I go for a walk?"

"Fine. Five minutes." Shigaraki went back to his game; she could already tell he had planned to make her watch him play. If Kaho became distracted while he did so, Shigaraki would instantly complain until he was certain she was paying attention again.

 _"He's even brattier than Ryoto…"_

Kaho knew this wasn't true in a way; Ryoto was prone to mischief and disobeying like any child, but when he demanded her to spend time together, it was because she did in fact rarely see him. It pained her to admit it, but Shigaraki was completely correct when he had offhandedly told her what she was doing was neglect.

 _"I'm doing the right thing...it's too late to start over. Maybe in another life, but not this one."_

Some people would argue against it, that there was always second chances, but Kaho knew better.

 _"How many people have I killed by now for a paycheck? How many times did I ever feel any guilt? The only thing I do regret is not being able to be closer to him, but that's because I'm selfish."_

For others, it just wasn't an option; she didn't even know anything else and if she decided to go clean now, she would only be imprisoned, and then how could she help Ryoto?

 _"I'm hanging onto the last shred of decency I have because of him, even when I know he'd be saved so much pain not knowing me in the first place."_

Kaho had tried to stay away in the beginning, only sending money and other supplies she read an infant boy may need; though she had no formal education, she was determined to at least be able to read. In her heart, she knew Ryoto would be better off living in ignorance; he would grow up under his grandmother's kind but stern sensibilities, be guided by a woman who wouldn't make the same mistakes she did with her daughter so long ago. He would go to school, make friends, fall in love, find honest work, and maybe even have a family of his own someday. He would understand the value of life and love and family. Kaho was determined he had everything she didn't, would be wise and knowing in the ways of the world that were long lost to her.

But then Mei had left a note taped to the porch, addressed to her; it implored her, begged her to visit Ryoto, just for his very first birthday.

Kaho fully intended to not show, but in the end her heart was too weak; and so, she did arrive that day, still a young girl herself in body but not mind or spirit, and she held her baby brother with more care than she had ever handeled anything. After that day, she couldn't stay away; she just had to know for herself the person Ryoto would become, and she reasoned that as long as she kept a respectable distance between them he would turn out alright.

Ryoto would never be able to understand. Why would his generous, upright, if not chilly sister have the stomach to kill as she did? How could she even think to burn someone alive from the inside out for something so insignificant as money? What about her soul, her future? How could she just throw it all away without a second thought?

 _"Easily."_

Kaho slowly walked down the barren halls, the cracked walls and peeling paint; for all Shigaraki's griping about her own living space, she was amused to see his own was going to hell.

 _"Easily. How could I look him in the eye and say it? How do you explain it to someone?"_

It was a shred of decency that even allowed her to feel shame, but this was conditional. Kaho was not evil or good. It was so much easier to be indifferent to everything except one's own self interests. If her brother knew the real her, Kaho didn't know if she could stand to live another day.

In that moment, Kaho almost missed her old apartment, as dirty and broken down as it was, it had been something of a home. It was the place she went to rest at any rate, and as she backtracked her steps to Shigaraki's room, she felt a great weight was making each step harder to take than the last.

It dawned on Kaho that she would most likely never be able to see Ryoto again.

She didn't want to go back to her work and resume her stoic facade. All she wanted to do was lay down and close her eyes, bury herself under her threadbare blankets and hopefully never wake up.

 _"How could anyone care about someone like me? Only a complete psycho or someone desperate enough for anyone to care about them."_

"I don't trust her."

The low, almost apathetic tone was unmistakably Dabi's; Kaho stopped and held her breath, straining her ears to hear the conversation.

"She said she was on the phone with an old client, but the way she was talking to them didn't sound like a business call."

"I know who Miss Dragon was speaking to and it's nothing for you to concern yourself with. She was saying her goodbyes, that's all."

Kaho leaned back on the wall and hung her head, almost biting through her own tongue to keep from talking. It wasn't that she meant to stay hidden or even cared to eavesdrop; she just needed a moment to wipe her eyes at the mention of what she had done.

 _"I didn't want to. Why can't they just leave it alone? I'm not bothering anyone, I just want to be left alone..."_

Kaho slide to the ground and hugged herself. Ryoto was so far away now.

Shigaraki gave his full attention to Dabi, his game paused as he got to his feet.

"What's your point?"

"At the least, we should be careful what we say around her. We don't know anything about her, except that she's only here for a paycheck." Dabi replied. "That kind of person is someone who will betray us without a second thought. At this stage, we should be more careful; we already misjudged a potential recruit once, and it ended with Magne killed and Mr. Compress maimed."

"Are you questioning my judgement?"

"I'm questioning why you seem so sure Dragon Lady is on our side."

Shigaraki nodded as if in understanding. "Let me correct you on something. _You_ don't know anything about Miss Dragon. I do. I'm the only one here who needs to."

"You're not the only one who belongs to this group."

"I'm the only one who has any say in what happens to Miss Dragon. She isn't a member of the League of Villains. She is my bodyguard and if I say so, she will assist you or another member, but her loyalty is to me first and foremost."

"Based on money. If the money runs out or we're in hot water, she'll leave you in the dust."

"Miss Dragon, come in here."

Kaho almost smiled as she slowly stood and entered the room; did he presume she was so obedient she'd be back in exactly five minutes as promised?

"Pardon me. I didn't mean to listen in." Kaho addressed Dabi. "I thought it would have been bad timing to intrude when you had concerns about my position here."

"Miss Dragon, come here."

Shigaraki was pointing to his right side; Kaho did as he told her and stood next to him, hoping she looked stronger than she felt. Showing weakness now would be a blow to her credibility.

Kaho waited for him to give her another order; Shigaraki paused for maybe a few seconds before placing his hand on the patch of scales covering most of her shoulder. Kaho blinked and peered at him from the corner of her eye, but he offered no explanation.

"Shigaraki?"

"You didn't even flinch."

Kaho nodded. "Yes...was there something else you needed?"

"Miss Dragon, do you like me?"

 _"What the hell?"_ Dabi was looking between the two of them with a furrowed brow, seemingly as confused as Kaho felt inside.

"I don't dislike you."

Shigaraki patted her shoulder once and turned back to Dabi. "Miss Dragon has been nothing but honest from the day we met."

Kaho wanted to crawl in a hole; she had not cried since she was very young, not in front of someone. She had not shed a tear the first time she had killed, not when her father had left for good shortly after Ryoto's birth, seeing her mother as damaged goods and his children not worth a second glance, not even when she had gouged at her mother's body with the knife currently hanging from Shigaraki's neck.

Yet as hard as she blinked, as much as she tried to steel herself, they kept coming.

"Honesty doesn't equal loyalty." Dabi glanced at Kaho; her eyes were shining as she slowly turned to Shigaraki.

"Miss Dragon, would you betray me?"

Kaho stared at him through blurry vision. Did he expect her to throw herself in the line of fire for his sake because of a few gentle touches? Just how stupid could he be? Him, who took nothing by faith and had only begun to see the value of placing it in other people? He wanted her dead for no real reason not long ago. He had threatened the only person who could ever love her. He was insane and ugly and pitiful. How could he expect her to answer honestly?

Kaho closed her eyes and used the backs of her hands to wipe the last of her tears.

"I won't."

"There you go." Shigaraki said as if that settled everything. "Dabi, is there anything else you have to tell me?"

"That was all." Dabi's penetrating gaze was now firmly on Kaho, but she only continued to stare up at Shigaraki. It was as if she was looking at him for the first time. "I just thought it was fair to say this now before we head out."

"Good thinking." Shigaraki seemed to be assuaged. "If there was something else you felt the need to get out in the open, it will have to wait."

Kaho stood absolutely still as Shigaraki slipped a disembodied hand from his coat and placed it on his face.

"Miss Dragon, I have something interesting to show you."

She nodded as he briefly touched her cheek lovingly. She supposed it wouldn't be too hard to get used to.


	13. Chapter 13

**Author's Note: Spoilers for end of Internship Arc!**

"Where did you even get your license?" Kaho questioned as she watched the road pass by swiftly under the wheels of the truck; she let her legs dangle off the side and enjoyed the breeze.

"I doubt anyone who learns how to drive from a game has one." Dabi sent Spinner another dull look before turning his attention to the police car behind them. Kaho herself wasn't paying too much mind to the others; she was wondering just why Shigaraki had requested she tag along on what seemed like an ambush, though for what purpose they were intercepting squad cars and trucks, he didn't yet say.

"A hero...of course you'd be here."

Kaho's ears perked as she heard Shigaraki standing up on top of the truck; her eyes caught the sight of the police vehicle that should have been reduced to ash from Dabi's flames. It was nearly completely covered in sand; a masked hero was clinging to the roof, manipulating the material to encase the car like a protective shell.

"The wheels are still exposed." Kaho brought up her gun.

"Aren't those illegal in Japan?" Spinner remarked as he swerved.

Kaho ignored him and went forward, but Shigaraki waved it away.

"Let me handle this."

"Shigaraki, wait-!" Kaho cried out as she saw him descend on the hero, who was obviously smarter than he looked if he had decided to go head to head with someone whose Quirk basically couldn't touch them. "He must know he can't win against that sandman guy!"

"Calm yourself Dragon Lady and have a little faith; haven't you heard of creating a distraction for a trick?" Mr. Compress chuckled darkly behind his mask as he presented a little orb. Kaho didn't hear the rest of his words, watching in awe as a huge boulder materialized seemingly out of thin air and sent the squad car rolling off the road.

Shigaraki had leapt ahead once freed of the sand to the large black truck, landing on the windshield like a spider and smashing his hands through the decaying glass to attack the driver. Kaho trailed behind Mr. Compress, silently praying Shigaraki was as in control as he looked of the situation, cursing him for not warning her beforehand. Shigaraki had ordered her to follow Mr. Compress' lead should he need to leave her side; as they approached Dabi, the sand hero was thrown from the police car in the chaos, now crouched in the middle of the road and panting. With his sand, he set the unconscious policeman down on the pavement with his sand. Kaho was impressed he had even managed to get the other man out of the car alive.

"Heros always rush to save other people first." Dabi strolled over to him almost casually, black smoke rising from his palms.

The hero didn't move from his position. "I've heard of a strong of mass murders in various areas, all the corpses burnt beyond recognition…"

"Oh am I making the news? Nice."

At this the hero's subtle fury was released as he created a towering creature of sand, preparing to strike down Dabi with all his might. Kaho's hand was on her gun, her attention on the surrounding area should any other heroes come to interrupt their plan; she was ready to shoot in an instant.

"Have you never stopped to think about how their families feel?!"

Kaho twisted her head to the ensuing battle, but the hero's efforts were in vain; Dabi's flames shaped into a mass around the him as he loathfully cursed Mr. Compress. With a swift movement of his hand, he conjured another orb to compress the enemy inside with the dark blaze. Kaho didn't doubt the man would ever be scolding anyone after that.

"I'm pretty sure only his top half can turn into sand." Dabi commented to Mr. Compress as he yawned. "He won't survive that."

"I have." Kaho was staring at the little marble of a prison, gun still in hand and finger on the trigger.

"Excuse me?"

"Sorry, I was thinking about what the sandman said to Dabi. But that sort of thinking lost me money." Kaho smiled humorlessly; it seemed so funny now. She, a woman who only killed for profit, was still able to have an ounce of mercy compared to the men in front of her. Of course, Kaho didn't judge; she was far past having that right.

"Greed's a sin ya know." Dabi remarked passively, though it was unexpected; he had not so much as glanced at Kaho since the conversation with Shigaraki. She could not blame him for his suspicions or concerns, especially when her motives were being taken into account. Kaho herself wasn't pushing for any social interaction from him; perhaps it didn't matter much to Dabi, but her unwilling display of emotion was still a fresh embarrassment.

"So is vanity Mr. Headline News."

He might have smiled.

"Having a nice chit chat?" Shigaraki was walking away from the truck unscathed to middle of the road; Kaho's eyes followed him curiously. There was a stretcher rolled out right in the open with a man strapped onto it; his hands were completely encased in what looked like a metal box, but Kaho knew they were a form of restraints meant to hold the hands of people with particularly dangerous Quirks.

Kaho looked on with disinterest at their target. Until she recognized his face.

"Mr. Compress, is he the one who hurt you and Magne?"

"Yes."

Kaho drew out her gun and pointed it at Overhaul's head; his cold eyes bore into her own.

"Ah. I remember you. You've lended your service to the league then. Have you come to kill me Ms. Mercenary?"

To her slight surprise, it was a look of resignation he wore.

"Miss Dragon, put that away. There's no need for it at the moment; I have something he'll hate even more in mind."

"I hate you." Shigaraki's tone was somehow both light and chilling; he strolled over to the incapacitated man. "I hate you because you're arrogant."

Kaho didn't have time to blink; Mr. Compress was already descending on Overhaul, another little orb appearing in midair.

"Me too."

With barely a scream, the man's left arm was tore away; the hand was still locked into the clunky restraining device.

"So you recognize your former employee? I guess you're just losing everything today. Loser."  
 _"They say revenge is best served cold, but this is pretty impressive…"_ Kaho surveyed Shigaraki closely, who gestured for her to come to his side; he held out a box of what looked like ordinary bullets.

"I wonder which one of these is the finished product?"

"...Give it back." Overhaul demanded, which wasn't nearly as effective as it might have been should his arms been whole and uncuffed. Shigaraki blatantly ignored him; after a moment of thought, he reached into his shirt collar. He carefully pulled off the chain and the bowie knife from around his head, flipping the blade out of its sheath; he held it out with three fingers and a thumb for Kaho to take.

"You know Overhaul, it's pretty hypocritical to make this plan to erase Quirks when you're not above using your own. How about we make an honest man out of you?"

Shigaraki's fingers clamped over Overhaul's other arm; in a matter of seconds, his skin and flesh and bone were being decayed, shattering into little more than dust and clumps of blood as the Quirk's effect traveling up to his elbow.

"Oops, but this way you'll die and we can't have that. Miss Dragon, sever it for me won't you?"

"Okay."

Kaho sliced through the remaining part of Overhaul's arm, hardly believing the stricken man in front of them was the same one she had met so long ago. That, and how easily her bowie knife cut through the limb.

"Did you just get the blade sharpened?" Kaho tossed wiped the blood off the blade on Overhaul's jacket and tossed it back to Shigaraki, chain and all.

"I like to keep my prized possessions in tip top shape. And I'll be sure to take good care of this loser's creation." Shigaraki cackled as he encircled the chain around his neck, the knife bumping against his skin once more. "Ta-da! The Quirkless Man! Don't you feel 'cleansed' now?!"

Overhauls' face held nothing short of horror and rage as Shigaraki loomed over him, his laughs coming out in mocking jags and wheezes.

 **"Your life's work is mine now! How does it feel? You can't even lift a finger to stop me...you don't have any! Get it?!"**

Kaho resisted the urge to make a remark. _"He was just saying the yakuza was so arrogant and hypocritical...did he say prized?"_

Shigaraki's leer twisted his face into that of a grinning corpse as he gloated over the now crippled man; despite herself, Kaho was actually a bit unnerved. The pleasure he got from staring down on his defeated enemy was nothing short of terrifying.

 **"All you can do is watch on, helpless, powerless for the rest of your life! Good luck with that!"**

As Overhaul let out a long, death rattle of a scream, Shigaraki grabbed Kaho by the back of the head and smashed his lips against hers. A second later Shigaraki pulled away from her stunned face, a euphoric glaze in his eye as he slung an arm over her shoulder and propelled her back to the truck. Spinner radioed to tell them to get a move on and Dabi and Mr. Compress followed suit.

"The next ones will be us."

Kaho was shaken from her frozen state; she had no idea what that meant. Did Shigaraki mean they would be the next ones to implement the plan in Overhaul's stead? Did he mean they would be the rulers of the underworld? A

 _"Us? Does that include me now?"_

Spinner was still at the wheel and driving recklessly. "Did you get him?"

"It's been taken care of." Mr. Compress spoke up as he took a seat and leaned against the inside of the truck; Dabi sat on the opposite end and Shigaraki slouched at the head behind the seats. He pulled down Kaho with him and transferred his hand to her bare waist. And she let him.

"I have to say, I was worried for a second, but you all really pulled that off." Kaho commented as Shigaraki's fingers stroked the dip of her lower back. "The look on Overhaul's face says he probably regretted the day he ever crossed the League of Villains."

"As I said before, you should have a bit more faith in your comrades Dragon Lady." Mr. Compress's slight chuckle was almost kindly despite the fact he had just maimed a man. "I would assume you're not used to working with others in relation with your profession."

"I've never teamed up for a job before." Kaho told him. "If I did that, I'd have to share the profits. It's easier to do smaller one man jobs than to work with other mercenaries on bigger high risk ones." she looked thoughtful. "Come to think of it, the one I did for Overhaul was relatively small; the only reason he didn't have himself or his men take care of it was because they weren't supposed to be making trouble over a slight. So Overhaul decided it'd be better to do a covert hit-"

"Hey, why are you talking about that yakuza scum? He's done for a loser. We're moving on." Shigaraki spoke up and dug his fingers slightly into her side.

Kaho nodded, allowing her shoulder to just lean into his as she put the safety on her gun and holstered it.

"So?"

"So what?"

Shigaraki made an impatient noise. "What did you think?"

"Of…?"

Shigaraki stared at her expectantly, an eager smile shadowing the previous maniacal grin, but noticeably less malevolent. The light switch clicked on in Kaho's mind.

"That was amazing." Kaho told him. "It was really smart how you went about it; I don't think Overhaul even realized what was happening until it was too late."

"Of course. He should have known better than to challenge us in the first place."

"And it all came together so well, I could see you put a lot of thought into it. I have to say, you're a pretty good strategist."

"It was easy to stay one step ahead of that loser."

"And the way you threw his hypocrisy back in his face was a nice touch. Color me impressed." Kaho tried not to chuckle as Shigaraki shrugged nonchalantly, as if it were all in a day's work to maim and steal from a powerful enemy. "You were really cool back there Shigaraki."

Shigaraki's hand froze on her hip; he lightly scratched the little exposed bit of his chin, eyes cast down to his shoes.

"Ah...you think so?"

Kaho nodded. "You were so...intimidating. Honestly, you frightened me a bit; I could only imagine how Overhaul is feeling right now. Probably like a fool."

"Well, it's not like he had any hope of going against me. If you think that's impressive, you should have seen when I negotiated with him for Toga and Twice; he was so arrogant, he thought he had the upper hand the whole time."

"He never suspected a thing I bet."

"Of course not." Shigaraki told her. "It was my idea to send them in as spies in the first place too."

Dabi, Mr. Compress, and Spinner all remained silent as Kaho looked up at Shigaraki with a hint of a grin, asking for details. Shigaraki gladly obliged and went so far as to give her the play by play of the whole situation with her encouragement; with every compliment and request to hear more, his chest seemed to almost swell out with pride, him preening under her sharp gaze. Despite humoring him, Kaho herself couldn't help smile; he almost reminded her of Ryoto, who liked nothing more than for her to listen as he listed off all the things he accomplished at school or home.

 _"I'll never be able to listen to him again."_

"Hey, pay attention when I'm talking to you." Shigaraki bopped her on the head as her smile began to fade and her eyes dull.

"Oh sorry."

Shigaraki continued. "That Overhaul guy is pathetic, isn't he Miss Dragon? Aren't you glad you're working for me now? You won't be embarrassed from associating with garbage."

"I'm looking forward to seeing what you'll be doing with his serum-well, your serum now."

Kaho could feel a tremor run through Shigaraki; he opened his mouth to speak, but then clamped it shut. His eyes met Dabi's, who had been studying them both unabashedly. Without so much as a word, Shigaraki slipped off his jacket and dropped it over Kaho's shoulders, hands and all still attached and weighing it down to her body.

"It's too stuffy in here. You hold onto it for me."

Kaho nodded and wrapped the coat around herself; she wondered if she could convince him to allow her to wear a similar jacket over her new 'uniform'. The accessories she could do without.

 _"This is the man I've put trust into? This child, this destructive monster who wavers between cunning cruelty and..."_

It was so clear to her now, what this man wanted from her; Kaho wondered how she couldn't see how far, how serious Shigaraki's persistence to have her was. He trusted her as much, if not more than his comrades, putting stock in her abilities and her willingness to proclaim her allegiance to him and him alone.

Kaho stared out the window as Shigaraki spoke to Dabi and Mr. Compress.

 _"But then, has anyone ever done that before, knowing the person I am?"_

Her father was basically nonexistent, her mother regarding her as little more than something to be exchanged for another fix. Giran held her in esteem as a business partner and acquaintance, but that was all there ever was; Kumiko for all her clinging hardly knew her at all. Her grandmother was concerned for her, and at this point in his life, Ryoto's resentment and hurt at her coldness was outweighing his love.

But they didn't really know Kaho either, didn't truly see her for everything she was and everything she had done.

 _"Shigaraki knows everything, every last detail it seems about my life. He's seen pretty much every side of me, yet…"_

 _"Why him?"_ Kaho wondered. Why was it him, the one who sought her out, who accepted her, who sulked and griped when her attentions were elsewhere? Why was it he who defended her, put his faith in her loyalty, who ate up her praises and faint smiles like candy?

And how?

Kaho had shed the jacket long ago once back inside the base; it was later in the day and she had a private phone call to make. The darkened halls were empty and bare; she had promised Shigaraki the call would only take a few minutes and he had allowed it while he and the others were discussing the serum and their next move. Yet, as she walked, it became harder to press the contact on the screen.

Shigaraki was detestable. He was cruel, irrational, and selfish. Sometimes Kaho couldn't help he considered her more as a prize to be won or an object to be obtained than an actual person. That must be why he had looked past it all. What would he care about the kind of person she was if he didn't even regard her as more than a possession to be kept by him?

And yet, it ended up being that spark of humanity left in her that opened the door. It had been because in his eyes, she too had saw him, because she could feel and think and because in her own way, she was as much of a monster. A lighter shade of grey compared to his black heart.

If all Kaho was to him measured up to a possession, than it would not matter her opinions; he was the one in control, the one who could force her to do anything he wished because he knew her only weakness.

Instead, Shigaraki searched for Kaho's favor with questioning looks and softly fervent touches, as though he were the one who had to seek her approval, gain her loyalty, and his finger wasn't a slip away from killing her if she regarded him coldly.

Maybe Kaho found she just couldn't help her growing attachment because he was so blatantly attached to her It was entirely possible she was lonelier than she thought, starved for the affection and care she had never allowed herself to have or give.

Maybe it was because she wasn't so different than the villains who had no future to look forward to. For a variety of reasons, Kaho could never be truly free. There was only one path left for her to travel now.

Maybe it was because in all her life, no one had truly known her, even the only person she loved with all that was left of her worn, withered heart. She had never been special to someone.

"Ryoto…"

Her brother picked up immediately. "Kaho?" he sounded incredulous. Happy, but disbelieving; she rarely contacted him directly. "I just got done with school! Are you in town?"

"No. I just..."

Kaho could barely hear his words of concern, his inquiries of just where was she, when would she be able to see him, and why she was calling now.

"Kaho?"

If only everyone could have second chances. If only life wasn't so cruel to those in the most need. If only she was a little stronger where it counted and could say all the things left unsaid.

 _"Even in that dark, awful place inside my head filled with all the things I could never forget...your smile always made me see some reason to keep going forward. How unfair it was to push that responsibility onto you...how selfish to try to keep you with me when I knew you'd be happier not knowing….when I knew there was nothing of real value someone like me could ever give you."_

"Ryoto...do you really want to be a hero when you grow up?"

There was a brief pause, most likely from the suddenness of her question.

"Yes!"

If only she could follow him, look over him for the rest of her life, but it seemed once again, fate had other plans in store. It occurred to Kaho that maybe this was part of what Shigaraki wanted, for her to have to fall back on him when she finally realized she had to say goodbye. But she wasn't mad; after all, one way or another, it would end this way. She would make sure of it.

"Kaho are you listening?"

"Ryoto."

Ryoto fell silent; for some reason, his sister's voice was not stern or flippant. It made an alarm ring in his head, but for what reason, he didn't understand; he could almost see her smile through her voice.

"Thanks for trying to save me."

Before he could respond, the line went dead.


	14. Chapter 14

Kaho didn't move an inch as the phone was yanked from her hand; she truly didn't notice Dabi coming up from the other end of the hallway. It was like Kaho was underwater.

"I already hung up you know."

Dabi stared back at her coldly. "You know, I really hope you weren't just talking with who it sounded like."

"And who would that be?" Kaho held out her hand. "I need that back by the way. Unless you're planning to add me to some villainous family plan."

She caught the phone swiftly as Dabi tossed it back to her, but he didn't look the least bit assuage at her flippant tone. At the moment, Kaho couldn't say she could bring herself to care all that much about the dour look on his face.

"It sounds to me like you mighta been talking to some hero."

"What in the world makes you think so?"

"'Thanks for trying to save me.'" Dabi mocked. "As if it wasn't odd enough you insisted on taking these calls in private. Listen Dragon Lady, you may have Shigaraki wrapped around your finger, but some of us aren't so convinced."

Kaho pocketed her cell phone. "I don't know any heroes. As for the insistence on privacy...well, that's private. Can't a girl have a little?"

Dabi scoffed lightly. "You're no girl. How many people have you charred up with that dragon breath? And that whole kiss of death bit; pretty sadistic really."

"To answer your question, it's been about four, and those people tried to put their hands on me. I personally think it was more than fitting; besides, isn't that just proof enough I should be in a place like this?" Kaho argued with little inflection. "I'm not some little girl, so why don't you just let me alone? If it makes you feel any less suspicious, as of now I have no other option but to stay here."

Dabi continued to stare her down ominously.

"You don't have to believe me. Shigaraki's opinion on it is the only one that really matters after all."

"I'm still smelling bullshit."

"I don't see why you're so distrustful. No one else seems to have an issue with me being here."

"The others aren't exactly that sound of mind. I may be a serial killer, but I'm not some delusional psycho like Toga or a fanatic like Spinner. Hell, look at Twice. Now there's a guy a few sandwiches short of a picnic."

Kaho chuckled mirthlessly. "I hadn't noticed. Okay, so you're a little less insane than everyone else here...and I take it you're one with higher ideals in mind than most villains. You follow that Stain's philosophy, right?"

"I plan to carry out his will."

Kaho leaned back into the wall and nodded. "Alright, now I'm getting it."

"Getting what?"

"You've put a lot of stock into the League of Villains and the leader is keeping me close. If I were to become a weak link or attempt some kind of sabotage, it'd be pretty bad for you. One false move while you're all just finding your notoriety and there goes all that work and your goals." Kaho smiled wryly. "Did I get it?"

"You're chatty today." Dabi took a step forward and leaned back and propping one foot on the wall to keep his balance. "But you've got the gist. When the base of a foundation is vulnerable, the whole thing can come crashing down. See, for better or worse, that Shigaraki is our leader and right now, we've scored a big win today."

Kaho turned her head. "And?"

"Shigaraki is going to be the symbol for the League of Villains, but recently the guy's mind hasn't been where it should be."

Kaho was on the defensive. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't he just pull off stealing an incredibly valuable serum from that yakuza? And who was the one by his side, ready to jump at his call? Aside from wanting a little privacy in my personal affairs, I've been keeping my head down and following orders to a tee. I fail to see the issue."

"The issue is, it's important he's getting his head on straight, not losing it over a pretty girl."

Kaho sighed wearily. "There's no reason to get your stitches in a knot. If you ask me, I've been the one affected the most from our encounter. I didn't get my hands this way baking brownies."

Dabi looked at her scarred palms. "So what, he tried to hold your hand?"

"No." Kaho felt her eye twitch at the imagery; his prying was making her quickly agitated. "He tried to kill me, found out my scales couldn't be hurt by his Quirk, flipped his lid, almost gouged out his own throat, and when I pulled his hands, I messed mine up by accident. Next thing I know, he's barging into my house and playing video games with my kid brother to get on my good side, who by the way I just said goodbye to, so there, now you know who I've been talking to, so do you mind just leaving me alone so I can deal with the fact that my life is now centered around protecting my stalker, and I'll never….see my brother again…"

Kaho let her sentence trail off; at this point Dabi was staring at her like she had just sprouted two horns to go with her fangs. She folded her arms and looked to the opposite wall blankly.

"I don't know any heroes. And I'm not making any plans to betray Shigaraki...to be honest, he's the only one I can depend on right now." Kaho chuckled and rubbed the back of her neck. "I can hardly believe it myself, but he's the only person whose ever accepted me...just the way I am. I don't know. Guess he's grown on me."

"Sounds to me like you both have a few screws loose."

Kaho let out a long breath and looked up at Dabi's amused and incredulous half smile. "Well, now you know. So, are you going to keep bothering me with accusations? Or have I set your mind at ease?"

"Sure." Dabi said. "So, he really went over to your place? Talk about desperate. Bet your brother freaked out."

"No, actually. He's never been that street smart. That's partially my fault." Kaho admitted. "I wanted to make sure he never had to deal with the things I did growing up, but maybe I focused too much on the wrong things...hopefully he'll be able to survive without making the same mistakes I did."

"That's a pretty noble sentiment for a mercenary." Dabi drawled.

"Ex-mercenary. Now I'm just Tomura Shigaraki's bodyguard and I'll be able to provide for my brother plenty in just a few short payments. All in all, I've been pretty fortunate as of late."

"So stop crying."

"Leave me alone and you won't have to see it."

Kaho bowed her head and turned from him. She waited, but Dabi wasn't moving.

"Your brother will thank you someday."

"What?"

Dabi was looking at her with a steady, calm gaze. "Personally, I and a few members of the League want to carry out Stain's ideology. What we accomplish today will bring about a brighter future. You could help us."

"Thank me? He's pissed at me and he'll hate me when he finds out about the things I've done."

"You've only done what you had to do. If this world was fair and just as people want to believe, then you would have been saved from a life where you had to fight and scrap to survive." Dabi told her; despite his slow, almost detached tone, there was an odd, hard glint in his eye as he spoke. "This society, this hero based system is flawed. It's about time for some change, don't you think?"

"I don't think that will happen. There's always going to be people who slip through the cracks. All I ever wanted is for my brother to not be one of them….heroes, villains...I don't really care. You're right Dabi. I'm trying to just survive here."

"With the world we'll build, no one will have to just survive; you have potential here, and not just as our boss' eye candy."

Kaho sniffed. "Oh shut up."

"The point I'm trying to make is that I won't just sit on my ass and let society stand as it is. They say the best way to put out a wildfire is with fire." Dabi slowly smirked. "Sounds fun, yeah?"

"You make it sound like it's such a simple thing to do, changing the world. But I have to say, it's almost admirable. I wish I had the motivation to be so hopeful." Kaho smiled and wiped her cheek. "Sorry, this isn't like me at all. It's as if I've sprung a leak or something. Definitely not the sort of changes I was thinking of...and this get up," she clicked her tongue and plucked at the hem of her midriff baring shirt. "I would have never worn anything like it before. I look ridiculous, like a patchwork dummy with muscles. I'll never get what goes through that Shigaraki's head."

Dabi gave her a meaningful look. "I know exactly what's going through his head, Kaho."

She flinched as a cloth was pressed into her limp hand; it was a black bandana folded into a square.

"Whoops." Dabi mumbled. "Did I hurt your hand?"

"Not really, they're mostly healed. Thank you, I'll return it once I get it cleaned."

"No worries. Just don't start losing your nerve on us, got it?"

Kaho went back to Shigaraki's room after taking care to wipe her face clean and blow her nose. She was relieved that Dabi and her were able to clear up his misgivings, though now he also seemed partial to the idea of her joining them in their mission to overthrow the system in place. It was all she could do to come to terms with the fact Ryoto would never forgive her for essentially abandoning him.

All these years and now it was over.

 _"If only it was that easy. A world where we could just be a family. I could go to school, get a real job, go drinking on Friday nights with my co-workers. We could have started over in another world, but not this one. It's impossible now."_

Kaho blew her nose one last time before going inside.

 _"I hope I don't look like I've been bawling…"_

She opened the door. There was no lights on; in all likelihood, Shigaraki was still talking things over with the rest of the League. Kaho felt relieved to have a little more time to gather herself.

Until she noticed Shigaraki's silhouette outlined in the chair he normally kept in front if his computer desk.

"Welcome back Miss Dragon."

Kaho raised an eyebrow as Shigaraki clicked on the small desk lamp by his side, lighting up a small portion of the room.

"Shigaraki?"

"Where were you?"

Kaho shook her head. "Shigaraki, please, I'm tired. I just want to go to sleep."

It was odd, especially since Kaho had witnessed him in action that morning, how quickly she forgot just how fast Shigaraki could move.

"I asked a question."

As soon as Kaho tried to go change in the bathroom, his arm was blocking her way, hand slammed down on the door frame with his pointer finger outward.

"Where. Were. You?"


	15. Chapter 15

In the weeks leading up to Shigaraki's proposal to hire Kaho as his personal bodyguard, he had gotten into contact with Giran a few times to purchase information. After the first time, he had not bothered to use any pretense or excuse as to why he wanted to know about Kaho's previous life; Giran didn't mention the peculiar requests, not wanting to lose a valuable associate or the easy money. In truth, Giran was one of the few who knew anything at all about Kaho's past, minus the bits and pieces she never bothered to speak of to him herself. If Shigaraki wanted to throw away his money on what was basically violating a woman's privacy, who was Giran to say anything about it? At any rate, it was an easy job; all he had to do was talk and answer any questions Shigaraki had, and he had many questions when he wasn't listening with rapt attention as he told Kaho's origins, or at least what he knew of them.

Giran knew Kana Ryuu from word of mouth; he knew she was one of the women who worked for a moderately successful pimp in the slums, and who just happened to be the man's lover. Giran didn't bat an eye at the implications of how a man used his supposed beloved so callously; it wasn't as if it was anything new for pimps to sweet talk attractive, but ultimately naive, women into earning their keep with once they were taken away from their old lives.

Kana was beautiful; Giran had seen her only once himself when an associate he was making a trade with pointed her out as she was coming out of an alleyway, dress wrinkled and hair bedraggled, and a transparent bag clutched tight to her chest as she sped away from the darkened spot. This was also a common sight; Giran couldn't say for himself whether it was her lover turned pimp who got her hooked or it was Kana herself who turned to substances to ease the pain of what must have been a miserable existence. And he couldn't say he cared, except that it was a bit of a waste for a pretty young thing like her to be living like she did, obviously broken and lacking the strength to pull herself up out of the mess she had gotten herself and her child into.

The day he had carelessly given his pocket change and a knife to Kaho was the first time he had seen Kana's child; he would have pegged Kaho as her father's daughter at first sight, with her patchy skin and eyes that would have looked more intimidating if she didn't only come up to his waist at the time of their first meeting. But a closer look at her face proved that she was related to Kana without a doubt and Giran figured it wouldn't be too long before Kaho either became a whore by force or necessity. Maybe sooner, depending on the customer's tastes.

Of course, Giran left out this comment when he spoke to Shigaraki in depth about that memory; he personally didn't understand why some men seemed so wound up about women remaining untouched virgins before having them, but then he wasn't going to chance incurring the villains wrath by implying Kaho's had ever done more than use her lips to gruesomely kill with her Quirk. He figured it was true anyway, seeing as how Kaho had never shown any signs of fear or anxiety when encountering threats of violation or any interest in such pleasures at all. If it was somehow possible she had taken a lover, Giran would rather swallow a bullet before being the one to have to break the news to Shigaraki.

As they spoke further for these somewhat brief sessions, it became very apparent, very quickly, just what was going on in Shigaraki's mind.

Now, Giran couldn't say he felt a real need to warn Kaho ahead of time just what his associates intentions toward her were; for one, he knew she could easily take care of herself and if she truly wanted to, there wasn't a doubt in his mind Kaho could kill Shigaraki if it was a one on one fight. Albeit, he didn't know the man had gone so far as to dig up more information on her family to have something to hang over Kaho's head and prevent any violent incidents, but Giran also had to admit he couldn't find it in himself to care very much how this all played out.

While Kaho and him had spent quite a few years in each other's company, there was no real affection or loyalty to their relationship; she was his student in a manner of speaking, as it was he who taught her the basics of how to shoot a rifle, stealth, a few defensive moves, and had even gotten her started by introducing her to some clients who could use her efficiency. They liked her habit of obedience and refraining from letting any impulsive or sadistic urges prolong her tasks; Kaho got the job done, took her money, and kept her mouth shut. Before Giran knew it she was forking over money for the lodging he had provided her, though there was hardly any need; their relationship was mutually beneficial, and while not cold, certainly held no ethical obligations.

Giran had never once asked about her childhood, her difficulties, her feelings, or her brother and how she felt about having to give him up to a grandmother she had never known herself. He never even asked about Kana, though he had his suspicions; as for Kaho's father, Giran had offhandedly mentioned to Shigaraki that the man had been stabbed in a knife fight a few years after Kaho had come to ask him for work. She herself didn't know, and when he did bother to bring up the subject, she said she didn't care where her father was or what he was up to.

It became apparent from day one that the only thing Kaho did care about besides surviving was her brother. The day she came back to meet with Giran, on the very corner she had been begging on not too many years ago no less, after leaving Ryoto at their grandmother's doorstep was the one and only time he had ever seen sadness pass her face, if only for a moment.

Giran was more unnerved than pitying; a young girl whose heart was too hardened to shed a tear, let alone smile genuinely, was a disturbing. Or maybe it was those black snake eyes of hers.

Shigaraki had interrupted to ask whether Giran had ever pried for reasons why Kaho had decided to stay out of touch with her brother after all the trouble she had gone through, but Giran had no real answer. But Giran told him that even back then, he had little faith Kaho's connection with her brother would stand the test of time; while he kept his opinions on the matter to himself, Giran knew the sooner Kaho accepted this the better. He laughed her penchant for sparing the lives of targets with children to feed; as far from being a healthy, functioning individual as she was, Kaho was still hanging by a thread.

Giran told a silent Shigaraki that if she was smart, she would cut ties with Ryoto and her trivial standards; he stubbed out his finished cigarette on the ashtray Kurogiri had so considerately set out and chuckled.

As far as he was concerned, people like them weren't meant to make connections, not the kind Kaho was trying to forge with her baby brother, and not any kind that wasn't mutually beneficial whether it was in money or services. It was unavoidable really; people like them couldn't handle anything more and Kaho would do better to accept that.

It was this moment where Giran looked up into Shigaraki's eyes and it was apparent he had said something to cause offense; the villain was breathing in and out harshly, his chest rising up and down as though he was gathering enough air to shout and curse at the informant, his eyes narrowed into slits from how hard his glare was boring into the older man's now wary and slightly confused gaze. If looks could kill, Giran would be disintegrated without Shigaraki having to raise a finger. Not a second later Kurogiri had handed him his payment and swiftly sent him on his way through a warp gate directly outside the building before Shigaraki could make a move.

That was the last time Shigaraki had seen the man and it was a good thing he had left when he did; he wasn't paying on him to throw out his opinions on matters that he knew nothing about.

The only thing he could agree with was the fact that Kaho most certainly did inherit her looks from Kana, though Shigaraki himself had only seen the woman in a picture Mei had shown him briefly when he made his 'visit'. The only features Kaho didn't possess from her late mother was her build, but that did nothing to decrease Shigaraki's lingering gazes on her solid frame or the muscles compacted in her powerful legs and arms.

The factor not taken into account was the fact that he was not the only man or woman to not take notice of Kaho; he mostly brushed off Kumiko's flirtations as an incredibly rage inducing nuisance like a fly who wouldn't stop buzzing around. Shigaraki was too busy trying to worm his way into Kaho's life and figuring out a way to get her over on his side and away from people who kept her focus away from him.

But unfortunately, Kaho was beautiful and after seeing her encounter with Dabi in the halls after the League's meeting had been adjourned, Shigaraki couldn't enjoy this fact as much as he did before. From what he could gather, the only experiences Kaho had with those who showed interest in her did it with flagrant disregard for subtlety, like her acquaintance, or outright force. It didn't surprise him for all her street smarts, the fleeting glances Dabi sent her way escaped her notice. No doubt Kaho chalked it up to his suspicions and wanting to keep his eye on her for any signs of trouble, but Shigaraki knew better. He knew exactly what was on the Dabi's mind as he draped his coat over Kaho's shoulders that morning and sent him a dirty look for silently interrupting their moment.

Shigaraki loomed over Kaho, her perturbed stare doing nothing to sway his foul mood; he wanted the truth, and she had better confess to him herself. If there was one thing he wouldn't stand, it was her lying to him. If Kaho told the truth, then it meant her talk with Dabi didn't really mean anything, despite her brief show of emotion.

 _"She was upset about that brat. It was bad timing Dabi would choose to confront her just when she was saying goodbye for good. She didn't like crying in front of that punk, she was caught off guard. It doesn't mean a thing."_

Still, Shigaraki was beyond ticked off. No one was supposed to be closer to Kaho than him; he had stayed behind a corner, listening closely as she conceded she felt he was the only one she could turn to at this stage in her turbulent life.

If only Dabi hadn't spoiled the moment, trying to fill up Kaho's head with his Stain propaganda. Shigaraki wanted nothing more than to shove him out of the way and make Kaho tell him personally all those words he had been waiting for her to say. Though the stalker comment did ruffle him the wrong way, the fact that Dabi had the nerve to address Kaho like they were anything more than associates was going too far.

"Tell me. Now."

Kaho suddenly felt quite small under his withering gaze. "I was out for a walk. I didn't go outside of the building."

"And? Where did you get this?"

Before she could react, Shigaraki had snatched the bandana from her hand.

"You do realize I just finished blowing my nose-" Kaho looked vaguely scandalized as he decayed the cloth instantly. "That wasn't mine."

"Then whose was it?"

Kaho's eyes flickered to the ground but Shigaraki continued to watch her like a hawk.

"I ran into Dabi. He heard me...he heard me telling Ryoto goodbye. I was trying to convince him I wasn't up to anything, but then I started...crying." Kaho sighed, looking almost angry with herself. "Fortunately, he was tactful enough to not rub it in my face and gave me the bandana to clean my face. At the least, he doesn't seem to suspect me of betraying you anymore, so I suppose it wasn't the worst timing."

"Sounds like you and Staple-face had a nice heart to heart; what a gentleman to give you his rag." Shigaraki hissed; his eyes were practically burning holes into her and his hands were shaking as if they itched to cause more damage to something. Or perhaps someone. Even so, Kaho felt whatever fear that had bubbled up in her begin to fade as the reason for his agitated state became clear.

"Shigaraki-"

"Do you know what I'd do if you even thought about running off?"

Kaho shut her mouth; Shigaraki was running his fingers up and down one of her arms, his touch causing goosebumps to rise from her skin.

"I could do to you what I did to that yakuza...all it would take was one slip of a finger and it's off with your arms and legs." Shigaraki trailed his pointer finger to a spot just a few inches above her elbow. "I think I'll stop the decaying to about here….and here."

Kaho shrank as his hand went to grope at her exposed thigh, thankfully a portion covered in silver scales; Shigaraki wheezed out a cold laugh, his manic eyes finding her own cautious look. Kaho was not about to make any wrong moves; it seemed he wasn't all there, his words coming out rapidly as though he was running out of breath.

"Yeah that's what I'll do. You can't run if you don't have legs! Oh but don't worry; I told you, I like to take care of what's mine, so I'll try not to make it hurt too much." Shigaraki yanked out the knife secured around his neck. "I'll even use your gift! I'll make it quick and clean too." he lightly pressed the blade to her thigh, just under the cuff of her shorts. "Then you won't be able to go...but you...you want to stay here, right?"

Kaho had never felt as uncomfortable as she did in that moment; Shigaraki's crazed eyes were staring down at her, wide and expectant. His voice no longer held a malicious edge, but as he spoke, his frantic bloodlust turned to quiet pleading.

"You won't make me hurt you, will you? If I can, I'd like to avoid causing Miss Dragon any pain...but I won't have to if you're good." Shigaraki licked his cracked, scabbed lips. "And you don't want to leave anyway. You were serious when you said you wanted to stay, right? You weren't...Miss Dragon wouldn't lie to me, would she?"

His fingers went to his neck as he absently began scratching himself; it had been quite sometime since he had done such a thing, but the habit was becoming more frequent as of late.

"I'll be mad if you are."

Kaho felt the blade press harder enough to break the skin of her shoulder, but she didn't make a peep; it was obvious Shigaraki's mind was elsewhere and she guessed any sudden movements would startle him.

"If Miss Dragon wanted to leave after everything I've done to get you here...if you didn't like me anymore, I'd be very, very mad. You belong to me now, you aren't allowed to do that, that's _cheating_ , that's-!"

Blood was running down his fingers and dripping down to his knuckles; history repeated itself as Kaho slapped his hand away from his throat along with the one holding the blade, effectively knocking the knife out of his trembling hand. Shigaraki snapped out of his oncoming tantrum when Kaho placed both hands on his face, making him look at her directly once more.

"Stop this. Look at your hand…." Kaho sighed and her gaze momentarily dropped to the his limp hand dangling at his side, the tips of the fingers now stained with blood. Her own arm was stinging just so from the shallow cut; she caught Shigaraki's eyes zoning in on it. "It's fine, but you should be more careful, for both of our sakes." she ran a thumb just over the spot under his eye. "I definitely can't go anywhere with you being so impulsive."

Shigaraki's whole body tensed as she stared into his eyes unabashedly. "What-?" he grit his teeth, hands remaining at his sides. "Let go."

"I apologize if I made you doubtful. That wasn't my intention."

It was easier to look at Shigaraki with a bit of distance; his ragged, cracked skin and slightly protruding eyes were not quite as noticeably, especially when one was used to seeing them. Right now with Kaho only a few inches from his face, she found he looked ridiculously ugly up close; his wrists had felt bony when she grabbed them to bring his hands to a safe distance, and Kaho wagered the rest of him was about as skeleton like.

Yet, she was getting the strangest urge to close that little bit of distance between them.

"You know...I don't think I've ever really been so close to a man without having to kill him."

With a smile Shigaraki didn't know she could give, Kaho's arms linked around his neck; if she wasn't mistaken his pallid, sickly complexion had developed a tinge of color. Despite Shigaraki's confused, frustrated grimace and the fact he didn't seem entirely in the mood for forgiveness, there was no attempt made to push her away. Kaho couldn't help smile; it she didn't know better, and if Shigaraki had lips that were not chewed away to almost nothing, she would say he was pouting

"Anyway, if you are still having any misgivings, I'd be more than willing to reassure you."


	16. Chapter 16: Omake Pt 1

**Author's Note: I was inspired by some fanart of Shigaraki and Kaho that was done by Lyne from Quotev! Look at my quotev profile for the art and I hope you all enjoy this quick AU!**

"Oh, damn."

Kaho's manager jumped; the suddenness of the curse had shaken her from her musings as she looked over her client's schedule for the week. Kaho herself was was searching through her large tote bag, frown deepening as she pulled out item after item.

"Hiksu-san I lost my scarf again."

"What?"

Hiksu held in a yawn, closing the window on her tablet to come over to the table; it was still topped with microphones from the interview, but Kaho had shoved a couple aside to place her bag on the surface. Truthfully, they were both feeling considerably exhausted after having just finished an interview for an up and coming fashion magazine, two earlier TV appearances, spent all morning pouring over rough sketches of a new line of evening dresses and casual spring attire to release next month, and now they only had less than half an hour to get to their next appointment.

"And we still have the photoshoot later this evening." Hiksu mumbled absently, reminded to take a note as she scrolled down the tablet screen to the alarm function; she'd make sure they wouldn't fall behind schedule.

"I'm sorry, I must have left it in the lobby." Kaho exhaled through her nose as she began putting all her things back inside the now sagging tote bag. "Maybe I should just wear my sunglasses...no, but then my scales...Hiksu-san I hate to ask, but you don't have an extra headscarf I can borrow do you? I just can't go to Ryoto's meet up like this."

"I don't see why not." her manager said patiently; normally Kaho was one of her less temperamental clients. Nothing ever seemed to catch her off guard, but then there were times like this. It was easy to forget the composed and cool woman was the type of person to worry or take the time out of her schedule to attend her little brother's after school activities. Overtime, Hiksu had become accustomed to Kaho's somewhat off putting nature and came to appreciate working with someone who could be compromised with and see reason.

"I'm sure he'd be proud to show off his famous older sister."

"I don't want to cause a scene. Ryoto's been looking forward to this all year." A slight hint of anxiety could be heard in Kaho's otherwise steady voice as she carefully sealed the portfolio of Hiksu's sketches back in the bag's largest pocket.

"Well if that's how you feel, you could try this." Hiksu had to hold back a bashful grin as she produced a thin, flowing material from her own bag. "I was up late last night with the seamstress who lives above me; what do you think of the material?"

Kaho blinked and gently brought the cloth to her face for closer inspection on the delicate designs of flames and flowers; the scarf was a good few feet longer than what Hiksu wore, as it was meant to wrap around Kaho's head, face, and neck, yet the soft silk was light enough to not feel suffocating.

"This is beautiful." Kaho let herself marvel at the ornate scarf despite her nerves.

"I thought you might think so, but don't put it on until we get into the car; I want this to be released to the public with your spring collection. You know the minute we go outside your fans will have their phones at the ready."

Kaho felt a tad at ease as Hiksu flashed her an encouraging thumbs up; some days she wondered why the other woman wasn't in her place, especially with her talents for design and efficiency. Her personality was much more sociable and when she smiled her dark eyes seemed to sparkle. People often said Kaho's eyes sent chills down their spines, though she had a sneaking suspicion this wasn't always a good thing.

As Kaho folded the scarf and stowed it away in her tote bag, Hiksu checked her watch. "Oh, come on, let's leave now. I hope security will be able to hold back that crowd, they look a bit rowdy today."

As they stepped outside of the studio, security immediately walked by each of the their sides to escort them to the car waiting not too far from the entrance. Fortunately the crowd that day was only a few dozen people who were sticking behind the rope line as they called out to Kaho and waved their hands out and held up their phones for pictures.  
Kaho personally didn't think security was all that necessary; as a model she wasn't quite as well known as bigger names in the first place, so on the days fans were waiting for her outside of the studio, a television stations, or showrooms, Kaho usually wasn't bombarded with too many people.

At any rate, Kaho felt secure that if anyone did attempt to harm her, her Quirk would be more than enough to take care of potential harassment.

 _"But Hiksu-san had a good point; if people see I have security with their own eyes, they'll be less likely to try to pull anything."_

Kaho stopped and gave her fans a subdued smile as she waved and shook hands; her manager/designer often told her that she might be able to increase her fanbase if she was a tad more approachable. She appreciated Hiksu's advice that was no doubt rooted in experience, but from what she could see, part of her appeal was her aloof attitude. Not that she meant to be distant by any means; Kaho loved her job for all it's hassles.

Kaho loved art and the ingenuity of her peers and colleagues, the ever changing world of fashion, and she was grateful that there were people out their who were supporting her and sending their well wishes. Even for all the flaws and obstacles involved in the business, modeling was the only outlet Kaho felt comfortable expressing herself outside of a runway; her thick skin and unflappable demeanor served her well, at least in this area of her life. Before she could blink, Kaho Ryuu was dubbed the Dragon Lady of the fashion world.

 _"Still, I wish it were easier for me to smile..."_

Kaho signed her name on a cut out photo of her taken off the cover of a magazine that had given her a spotlight article; her own impassive gaze and parted, painted lips shone on the glossy paper. The girl asking for the autograph looked a bit familiar, no doubt one of her loyal fans who came to her shows religiously, took back the signed photo with a grateful smile as she wished Kaho luck on her upcoming appearance on a popular evening talk show. The show would be featuring her on a segment about her inspirations, her goals for the future of her growing career, and a quick demonstration of her typical workout routine and self defense techniques.

" _Being the way I am is working in my favor, so maybe it's not such a bad thing sometimes…"_

"Miss Dragon?"

A softer voice only reached her ears due to the man approaching close enough to be right in front of her; one of her guards tensed as the man jerked his arms upward to hold out a bag to her. Kaho herself was a bit startled; despite the hood pulled up over his head and the mop of hair obscuring his eyes, she could clearly make out his face. She automatically wondered just what in the world had happened to cause such cracks and scarring, had even felt a spike of fear at the sudden sight, but her apprehension was abated once she saw the bag he held out with trembling hands was filled with cookies.

"I made these...for you."

His voice was scratchy and rough, like he was having a hard time catching his breath after running smile. Kaho had to lean in slightly to make out his words; before she could take the bag, Hiksu was at her side with an apologetic look in the man's direction.

"I'm sorry sir, but Kaho-san is currently on a high protein diet; in addition, our agency has a policy about our client's accepting food-for safety reasons, you understand."

"Oh. I didn't know. Can you...can she just take them?" he asked lowly. "I don't want anyone else to have them."

"It's quite fine." Kaho stepped forward, giving her guard a meaningful look to make him back off. "I'll accept them."

The man blinked rapidly before handing them over, the tips of his fingers pinching the bag as he placed it in her waiting palms.

"Thank you. May I shake your hand?"

He shrank back slightly, chewing his tattered lips. "I...no."

"No?"

"My...Quirk…"

Kaho frowned in slight confusion. "What about your Quirk?"

"If, uh, if I touch something with all five of my fingers, it'll decay almost instantly. So…"

Kaho's eyes glanced at the cookies in her the transparent bag; they were little and each one was perfectly round. They were chocolate chip, her favorite.

"Did you make these yourself?"

He nodded stiffly; Kaho stared at him blankly.

"That must have been a bit tricky, what with having to keep from damaging your utensils."

"Ah, it's fine. I just wanted to make you something to show my support. You said they were your favorite in the May issue of Non-no, you know the one…" the man trailed off, almost as if he was embarrassed for suddenly talking so much.

"Kaho-san?" Hiksu eyed the man warily. "We should probably get going."

"Take a picture with me."

Hiksu's expression was still apprehensive, but she knew better than to argue. The man's head snapped forward so quickly Kaho wouldn't be surprised if he snapped his neck by accident. "Huh?"

"I'm not able to eat these presently, but I'd love to show off your hard work." Kaho lifted the rope up and nodded to gesture for him to come forward. "Hurry please, I am on a tight schedule unfortunately."

"I...yes, thank you."

The man ducked underneath the barrier, his lanky legs bent at the knee so he could move past it without getting smacked with the rope; Kaho's cell phone was out and opened to the camera app. She positioned herself so she was standing next to him, bag of cookies held up to present them clearly in the reflection of the lense. The man was as still as a statue, his shoulder barely brushing against her own as she moved in closer, his bewildered gaze drifting over to her face from the corner of his eye.

"What's your name? I'll tag you in my Chatter post."

"I...it's Shigaraki. Tomura Shigaraki. Are you sure you want to…? I mean, my...um…" Shigaraki mumbled looking a frustrated as he pulled his hood self consciously.

"Of course I'm sure." Kaho said without missing a beat as she clicked the camera button a few times to capture the moment. "And...thank you for the cookies. I truly appreciate your support." she gently touched the back of his hand. "I hope I won't disappoint you."

Shigaraki Tomura could hardly stutter out a reply; on the way back to his apartment, he felt as though he were suspended in a thick fog, his mind going over the exchange over and over in his head when he wasn't mentally kicking himself for bringing cookies.

 _"Of course she wouldn't be able to eat them you idiot!"_

Shigaraki shoved his hands as deep into his pockets as he could and yanked the hood over his head as he avoided people's stares on the street.

 _"What a waste. I bought all those supplies and everything and she couldn't eat a bite….but…"_

In all the time Shigaraki spent gathering pictures from magazines, newspapers, social media sites, and materials not even available to the general public, none of the photographs of Kaho Ryuu were of her smiling. Even in interviews and television, Kaho seemed barely able to crack more than a small, polite smile.

 _"Miss Dragon...I didn't know she could make a face like that…and it was me who made her smile…!"_

"Hey, did you pick up more milk?"

Shigaraki sent his roomate a dirty look; he lounged on the broken down couch, eyes never leaving the blaring TV screen.

"No. I told you, I wasn't going out for shopping. You can warp anywhere, just take the money I gave you for groceries and go yourself. I'm busy."

Kurogiri didn't flinch as Shigaraki slammed the door to his room shut; he was used to having to be the one to take care of any chores or shopping for food and necessities, but at least Shigaraki was the one who paid for them.

In fact, the only reason Shigaraki had bothered to allow Kurogiri as a roommate was so he could leave the bulk of responsibility of maintaining their small living space to someone else while he indulged in his obsession. Kurogiri supposed it wasn't entirely Shigaraki's fault he had turned out so spoiled; the man who had taken him in didn't do much more than provide generous financial favors to his ward.

Shigaraki's caretaker had accepted a long time ago that a young man with an obvious mental imbalance, most likely brought on from the accident that had made him an orphan so long ago, a hazardous Quirk, and an unsettling appearance as his would have a hard time finding the means to support themselves. The thought of getting in touch with therapists or really any type of outside help was apparently too shameful to even consider; giving Shigaraki the funds to maintain a shut in lifestyle was the easiest option and finding Kurogiri in the ads for wanted lodging was a blessing.

The man didn't mind sharing an apartment with Shigaraki when he barely had to chip in for anything; all he had to do was keep a distance and remember to go out periodically to buy what they needed with the money Shigaraki gave him. He couldn't care less about his roommate only venturing out to wherever Kaho Ryuu was attending or to buy copies of the latest magazines with her photos or interviews. He didn't even care that, on once going into Shigarak's room to return his recorder, the walls had been practically plastered with the woman's cool, impassive stare and the bed covered in articles of clothing that were no doubt bought from her fashion line. What Shigaraki did with these clothes, he didn't care to know.

As Kurogiri slipped on his shoes and made a warp gate leading directly to the front of the nearest supermarket, Shigaraki was holed up in his room. Despite the amount of money he spent on the decor of his dwelling, the overall space was very uninspired and drab, if not downright unkempt. The only light in the room was coming from the considerably large screen of his computer and the windows were always blocked by tightly sealed curtains, but Shigaraki didn't mind the feeling of being in his own little world in the somewhat cramped area. It was torture to leave the apartment in general and if that wasn't enough, Shigaraki was already dreading the very idea of his face being plastered on Kaho's social media platforms.

Still, he couldn't help the tremors wracking his frame from remembering how close Kaho had stood, how she had not shown any sign of disgust and instead gave him the most gentle, almost timid of smiles as she took his hand in hers.

 _"Found it."_

Shigaraki looked up her latest post on her Chatter feed; there he was, ugly and awkward next to the shorter model, who was as dignified and beautiful, maybe even moreso. Standing next to his visage, her beauty and grace seemed to be pronounced. How many of the articles and pictures of her featured Kaho with a male model, a man who with a clear face, perfectly styled hair and clothes, and probably as ripped a any pro hero? But now there Shigaraki was in a picture she had posted herself, not for money or an agency, but because she had wanted him to.

 _"No. The word beautiful doesn't even come close."_

Shigaraki dreamed of the day she would gaze at him and him alone with those cool, reflective eyes, dreamed of strong, limber legs wrapped on either side of his hips as she pressed him down into the sheets, bringing him to the edge over and over again, only to pull away and leave him wanting. It would be his punishment for dragging his feet and not taking the initiative. An assured woman like Kaho wouldn't approve of such behavior, but Shigaraki would make up for his flaws if she wished it. After all, if she could pull herself up from nothing, he could surely become a man worthy of her attention at the very least.

 _"Gorgeous….so strong and assured….just perfect."_

With a quiet groan of frustration, Shigaraki inwardly berated himself for getting so tongue tied; he had wanted the first time seeing her face to face to include a better first impression, but he was doomed from the start. Kaho was even more breathtaking in person and he had underestimated the effect she would have on him, had not even thought she might do something so friendly as pull him close for a selfie and grant him something so rare as one of her sincere smiles.

 _"Miss Dragon would never act that way...she must have recognized my devotion. She hardly ever does more than say hello to most fans or sign autographs."_

He laid back on his bed and contemplated the full body poster carefully secured to the ceiling above him; Kaho was stretched out on her side, gaze imperious and calm even while wearing barely more than a satin nightgown. The poster was a special prize for a raffle; Shigaraki had bought cases of a snack he didn't even like just so he could collect the seals and have as many entries as possible. Kaho never released such racy material and the idea of anyone else seeing her in such an exposed state was enough to make him blow through two months worth of savings.

Kurogiri had been proactive enough to hand out the snacks to the neighborhood kids and their nearest neighbors so they wouldn't go to waste. He had carelessly chided Shigaraki, but he was paid no mind. It was worth every cent, even if he couldn't afford to buy that new console or the latest installment of his favorite anime series. It was enough to just be able to fall asleep each night to Kaho Ryuu's toned body and imposing stare.

Most models also had an odd look that made them appear unapproachable and cold, but Kaho's expression was more than just cold and aloof. It was as if she was daring him to stare and let his eyes roam over her form; Kaho always held her head high, uncaring of the opinions of even the most scathign tabloids, ignoring any rivals decalrations of war, and doing it in a fashion that made her somehow both threatening and refined.

Shigaraki slipped his hand down into his sweatpants and kept his eyes glued to her face.

 _"But she did care about my present. She was so happy, she smiled just for me. Miss Dragon, you just keep going above and beyond my expectations!"_

He palmed himself roughly and let out a stuttered breath; normally he might take his sweet time, but the memory of her so close, the smell of her perfume lingering on his arm, the bright, soft image of her sincerely touched smile was making him impatient. Shigaraki felt ready to burst any moment from the sheer bliss of it all. He gazed back lovingly at the poster above him, his whole body burning as he lost himself to the friction; with a disgusted grimace at the mess he had made, Shigaraki still felt content.

Sometimes he wondered what would happen if he were miraculously able to invite Kaho over to see his collection; he pondered over her possible reactions, but most of the fantasies manifested with her becoming stern and uncompromising. She would ask why, if he was so dedicated, then why not contact her directly sooner? He was following her on all her sites and blogs. Kaho wasn't a woman to beat around the bush and it wasn't hard for Shigaraki to imagine she may even take offense at how highly he prized the materials he had spent so long gathering.

She would look at Shigaraki right in the eyes, testing him, and order him to prove that these things were nothing in comparison to her presence.

 _"And I will. I'd do anything for you Miss Dragon…I'll prove it."_


	17. Chapter 17: Omake Pt 2

Kaho's career path had come from a somewhat unexpected source; her overall life had been quite unremarkable. Most of her time was spent in a daze until the day her mother came back from the hospital to their shamble of a house with an infant cradled in her fragile arms. The first thing Kana did was tell Kaho to get her a glass of water before unceremoniously placing Ryoto into her hands; she had no idea that in that moment, she had awoken something in her morose wisp of a daughter. The instinct to protect and nurture, even though Kaho hardly knew what it meant to be so attached to another living being.

Regardless, in a weeks time Kaho had stolen her mother's cell phone and looked through the contacts to a number she suspected had been her grandmother's. There were many times Kana had called up someone she addressed as 'mother' to send her money when her husband was gone on what he called 'business'. Kaho wasted no time dialing the number as Kana laid passed out over a couch stained with vomit, a bottle fallen from her hand to the carpet, it's contents pouring out to create yet another stain. Her grandmother had been there that night to pick her and Ryoto up and before Kaho knew it, she was living in a clean house, had all the food she wanted, and was being fitted for a uniform to begin attending middle school. Her grandmother Mei never spoke much on Kana, only to ask Kaho how she felt if the elderly woman became their sole legal guardian.

Still, as peaceful as life had become, Kaho found herself yearning to find something to do; in no time Ryoto was growing up and she found that as much as he loved her, she could not expect him to cling to her forever, much like he couldn't expect to be the focus of her life.

There was something that was missing, something Kaho just couldn't seem to wrap her mind around; when she wasn't studying or helping Mei with household chores or listening to Ryoto gush over Kamui Woods or relay a story from the track and field club, she found herself walking. It wasn't quite a routine, but more often than not in her free time, kaho wandered around the city aimlessly, as though she could search for that missing something that she lacked. Kaho found herself feeling guilty during these times she allowed her mind to wander; a recurring thought was envy of her younger brother, who had grown up distanced from their previous predicament while she had been in the thick of it all. It irritated her; no matter how much better life was now, Kaho would have to go through her days carrying memories that would never quite leave her and live with the person she was now because of her past. This may have not been such an awful idea, except for the fact she didn't particularly like that person.

When she looked in the mirror, she saw her blank, intense gaze unappealing in more ways than one; Kaho would stop now and then and trace her fingers across the lips that hardly ever bothered to so much as lift up at the corners. Who was this person? Was it really her, this woman with such cold smiles that rarely reached her eyes?

It was because of this Kaho was genuinely surprised that an agent had shoved his card in her face on one of her strolls; he had smiled at her kindly, asking if she was already under contract. Kaho was visibly perturbed and so the man took her aside and began lavishing her with compliments as he spoke of what a great opportunity she had stumbled upon, his hand traveling down her shoulder to her waist.

It was then that Kaho decided to yank his hand away by the wrist, snapping the bones and pulling on the screaming man's arm backward so she could pin him to the sidewalk with her foot. As the would be conman hollered and cursed, Kaho calmly explained to the police who had approached just what had happened; incidentally, this man was the prime suspect for a number of cases of sexual harassment and assault from women who reported he had lured them with promises of a modeling career to his apartment. They had been drugged and could scarcely remember his name and face, but the few details provided and the fact that the man had buckled under interrogation were enough to finally place him under arrest. Kaho herself had been called down to court to give her own testimony and to recount the day she had almost been tricked. The press had a field day and many pictures of her were taken and placed in the column by the articles detailing her story and the progress of the case and how justice had been served.

About a month after all the chaos had abated and Kaho was just able to convince mei she could go out walking around on her own safely, Kaho had found their mailbox periodically containing offer from a good number of corporations who wanted to use her face for advertising, organizations concerned with women's issues and the prevention of assault asking her to appear for their campaigns, and even legitimate agencies giving her offers for modeling.

The rest is history.

"Hiksu-san, don't you think this is a bit too revealing?"

"What? This covers up way more than that lingerie ad you posed for." Hiksu looked a bit offended as Kaho looked over her sketch.

"That's not to say this isn't tasteful or it's inappropriate...but you can see a couple of my scars through the holes in the back and the shoulders." Kaho cringed inwardly; the scars were long healed over, but they were definitely noticeable against her complexion. "The lingerie poster only showed my front and the nightie just barely covered that scar on my thigh."

"But this design is perfect! And so what if people see them?"

"It's not universally appealing. The magazine could use readers from a photo with me in this dress."

Hiksu rolled her eyes and smiled. "You said something similar when you were fussing about wearing the crop tops for the summer releases, but last time I checked the polls, fans were still drooling over your abs. Trust me Kaho-san, this image works for you and over 90% of your fanbase agrees."

"Alright, you're the one with the numbers."

One of Kaho's biggest concerns when she had entered into modeling was that her body type may not be so well received despite the positive reception on her facial features. Growing up she had been involved in an unfortunate number of scraps, even after moving away from the slum her mother never bothered to try to leave for her or her daughter's safety; in addition, Kaho had spent years working out almost religiously so she could defend herself properly should the occasion ever arise or in the unlikely event she found herself back in a dangerous area with only herself to count on.

"Hiksu-san, if that's really the case...maybe I should show a bit more skin."

Hiksu nearly dropped her pencil; Kaho's head was still bent and looking over the rough drawings littering the managers already cluttered desk, but her gaze looked a bit unfocused.

"Really? But you just-I mean, I do have a few other designs I've been wanting to give a spin." Hiksu lowered her pencil and drawing pad to her knees. "Kaho-san, is everything alright?"

"Yes. Why?"

"You've just been a bit off lately. It's like you're trying to...I don't know, decide something?" Hiksu chuckled sheepishly. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to be nosey."

"No, you're right, I have been thinking over something." Kaho confessed; she had been working with Hiksu for the majority of her blossoming career, and the woman was one of the few who could sense when her mood was shifting. There was no point in being dishonest, especially when the issue was concerning her career.

"Hiksu-san, the man who wanted to give me the cookies...Tomura Shigaraki." Kaho recalled. "His face...you know, it made me think about my...well you know." she smiled humorlessly.

Hiksu remained silent and kept her face straight; Kaho wasn't prone to speaking about personal subjects. The past was a touchy subject she had only spoken about to the public due to nasty rumors circulating about the origins of her scars. Kaho had actually released a brief, but decisive interview with the women's issues organization who had contacted her so long ago to tell the barebones of her story.

"I actually do want to go through with your design. Seeing that man...well it made me realize that perhaps it could be empowering to show a model who's willing to be so open about their imperfections. I'm not ashamed about my scars or my past...I just wish…"

Kaho looked up from the papers, eyes resolute and brighter than Hiksu had ever seen them.

"I want to be different. I want to be more open and show my fans that I truly appreciate their support. Maybe someone will see see me succeeding looking the way I look with the background I have and...well, not feel as if they couldn't be in my spot. That if even someone like me can be a model and be considered beautiful, then what other things are possible?"

Hiksu considered her words for a moment and smiled sadly. "I'm glad you feel that way, but I wish you wouldn't say it like that. I hate when people say, 'someone like me' as if there's anything wrong with who you are. Kaho-san, if you really want to use your image to inspire something in others, you need to take your own advice."

Kaho stared at her.

"Um, no offense! I didn't mean to talk down to you, I just-!" Hiksu withered slightly under the unblinking gaze before Kaho realized what she was doing.

"Hiksu-san, don't apologize. You're absolutely right." Kaho told her. "You know, it's funny someone I hardly know would go through so much trouble to make me cookies. But it was touching all the same. Hiksu-san, there is another thing I was hoping to discuss with you before next week."

Exactly a week later, Shigaraki snatched a package from Kurogiri, almost knocking the rest of their mail to the ground in his haste. Kurogiri didn't even bother to reprimand his roommate as he grabbed a knife to cut through the tape sealing the cardboard box up.

"Why don't you just use your Quirk to open it?"

Shigaraki barely spared him a scoff. "If I do that, I might accidentally destroy what's on the inside. Did you get the groceries on my list?"

"Yes, if you can call them that."

Kurogiri noticed the items Shigaraki requested were mainly instant ramen, snack foods, and sodas, among other cheaply made substances that just barely passed for food. He suspected Shigaraki's poor diet was correlated with the fact that he spent the majority of his funds on all things related to his obsession. Healthy eating habits were secondary, along with clothes, cleaning products, hygiene commodities, and basically anything most people would purchase for more than a dollar. Shigaraki figured out the math as thus: the less money he had to spend on food, the more he could spend on magazines and all the merchandise centered around Kaho 'Dragon Lady' Ryuu. Kurogiri was certainly glad he still made enough money on his part time delivery job to pay for his own groceries.

As Kurogiri put away his purchases, Shigaraki paid his comment no mind, opting to stare down at the boxes' contents with what could only be described as sheer, dazed bliss. Before Kurogiri could even bother to begin to push himself to be civil and ask what Shigaraki had received in the mail, the younger man had practically bolted to his room, slamming and locking the door behind him without so much as a by your leave. Kurogiri sighed and decided this was the perfect time to leave the apartment and treat himself to a real meal.

To say Shigaraki was a fan was an understatement; in the span of Kaho's career, he had not come across anyone in her fanbase who knew more about her or who owned more of her promotional material than him. This was a fact her prided himself almost as much as the saved post of the photo Kaho had posted of them together with the cookies; after hours of deliberating a comment to put on her thread, Shigaraki had settled with a simple smiley face and a waving hand, to which Kaho responded with a thumbs up and a cookie icon that had nearly gave him a heart attack. He blocked anyone who tried to chat with him on the subject or anyone who had also posted a comment under the image; Shigaraki didn't want a thing to spoil the moment.

 _"Of course Staple-face couldn't leave it alone."_ Shigaraki fumed silently as he lifted the pillowcase from the box; he unfolded the material and decided it would need to be ironed to get out the creases. Despite being unpracticed in most household chores, Shigaraki had made himself learn how to use an iron so he could keep the dresses he bought from Kaho's fashion line in perfect condition.

The man he thought of so reluctantly had actually been the one who had provided him with the item he was currently in possession of; Dabi was a regular troublemaker on all of Kaho's most prevalent blogs and fan sites. He would often play devil's advocate, throwing out seemingly harmless comments and inquiries only for users to begin shoving hate and debates down each other's throats while Dabi watched the ensuing chaos with satisfaction.

Still, he refrained from messing with Shigaraki too much, as he didn't want to lose a valuable source of income; Dabi specialized in selling more rare, sometimes unauthorized materials of various celebrities. Shigaraki was one of his best customers.

"Perfect."

The pillowcase was ironed out and wrinkle free; without further ado, Shigaraki slipped the silky material over a full body, feather filled pillow he had obtained just for the occasion. It wasn't an actual photograph, something that nearly made Shigaraki decide against the purchase, but the illustration was so detailed and lifelike, he couldn't resist.

"Absolutely perfect…"

Kaho's image was imprinted on the pillow on both sides; on the front she was wearing a stylish black dress, form fitting an hugging all the right places as she lay with her eyes unimpressed and her red lips set in a challenging shadow of a frown. The other side was her yet again, but the facial features was noticeably more expressive, though no less subtle her eyes were half lidded and her glossy lips parted and as pink as her lightly flushed cheeks. One of her arms was positioned over what would have been her bared chest, for instead of a being clothed in relatively modest dress, Kaho's was only clad in black, lace trimmed panties.

Dabi had told him the artist was only making one illustration for their assortment of pillows; they themselves were an avid fan and had put a considerable amount of work in their masterpiece. As it was technically one of a kind, they had put a good price on the item, and that was only for the starting bid. Dabi was the one who had given Shigaraki the tip off, but of course it was for a price; even he found himself unnerved by how quick Shigaraki was to shell out his money for the pillowcase and his tip off, but he wasn't surprised. In his opinion, there were plenty of other things he could be spending that money on, things more worth the price.

But then, Dabi couldn't judge too much when he had jacked off to the illustration from the link the artist sent him. And even if he hadn't, it was definitely worth letting this little tidbit slip to Shigaraki after the transaction was complete; the man had ended up sending him messages that were paragraphs long, full of death threats and promises of slow, painful torture should Dabi even let himself think for half a second he would ever be worthy to be the dirt under Miss Dragon's shoes.

At any rate, Dabi was grateful they were not meeting in person to exchange the money. Only once had he met Shigaraki in real life, specifically outside a supermarket; Dabi had agreed to help him carry out a good amount of snacks that were supposed to contain seals in their packages for a raffle. Shigaraki paid him to safely take these cases to his apartment in case any other fans got any ideas to ambush them so they wouldn't have to shell out so much cash. It was not an experience Dabi wanted to repeat; god forbid anyone so much as get a particle of dust in their eye and try to blink it out should Shigaraki think they were winking in Kaho's vicinity. The second a fellow fan had tried to sneak a pack of the snack away, Shigaraki's hand had shot out to grab the collar of their shirt as a warning. Dabi watched in mild interest as the man's shirt was reduced to dust particles and fibers. It was after this that he decided it'd be a better idea to mess with Shigaraki through taunts and jabs online; Dabi really didn't feel like getting his life cut short by a lunatic who got his kicks humping a pillow with his crush's picture.

 _"Bastard...no one else is worthy of even looking at illustrated picture of Miss Dragon this way."_

Shigaraki didn't want to lose a valuable asset; it was only Dabi's usefulness and connections that kept Shigaraki from just telling him to fuck off completely. It was more than worth it though to score such a treasure, even if Shigaraki couldn't help the urge to vomit at someone like Dabi or really anyone seeing Kaho the way he did.

"Not that it matters in the slightest. We do have a special connection after all." Shigaraki reminded himself as he fitted the case on the pillow with all the tenderness he might show if it was Kaho herself. Truth be told, he had never so much as held a woman's hand in the past before his encounter with her; in fact, any human contact was frankly scarce. Shigaraki wholeheartedly preferred spending his days as a shut in, bingeing on anime, video games, and junk food, and his Quirk only served to enable his lifestyle. Anything to escape the world he felt trapped in; if Shigaraki had it his way, he would never have to step foot outside his own room.

So it made him marvel at Kaho all the more when he had heard her story, no matter how brief and nondescript she had been, it had been clear the woman's life had not started off so peachy; Shigaraki had poured over the interview incessantly; the organization who published it on their site had also been the first place where he had heard all the details of Kaho's encounter with the scum who had dared out his hand on her. Shigaraki had first come upon the account second hand on a website for one of his games; the users had brought it up to each other in the forum as they caught up on events and then they were off about strategies. The brief mentioning was enough to peak Shigaraki's curiosity and he had honestly thought the story had been a hilarious example of irony.

How was he supposed to know where the little article about women's self defense and Kaho's account of the event would spark something so intense, so all consuming, and warm, and painful in every fiber of his being? The picture they used of her was plain at best, her expression serene, yet somehow almost disinterested, as though it were all in a day's work to incapacitate a man who had already preyed upon women not too different from herself.

 _"But Miss Dragon is different. She's so, so-!"_

Shigaraki grabbed the pillow; he couldn't tear his eyes off of it and now he didn't know if he could even bare to let it go from his careful grasp.

 _"I'm nothing like the others, right Miss Dragon? If I was, you wouldn't have been so nice. You would have gotten scared the second you saw me and told me to go away, but you didn't…"_

Before he could indulge himself, Shigaraki heard his phone's alarm go off. He gently set the pillow down on his bed before scrambling to his TV; he actually didn't watch many programs at all, but Kurogiri had insisted on them getting cable for his own viewing pleasure, though it did have it's uses. Shigaraki made sure to set his clock so he could record each and every one of Kaho's appearances on talk shows, televised competitions, and even advertisements. He wanted copies to have in case of emergencies.

Shigaraki flipped to the channel just in time to see Kaho come out and sit down opposite the host.

"Hey everyone! I'm Himiko Toga, and this is "Good Morning Hosu'!"

The young woman waved energetically; Kaho's wave was brief and almost humorlessly muted in comparison. Shigaraki climbed back onto the bed and held the pillow between his legs, chin settling on top of where Kaho's head might have been if she were actually there.

"We're here with Kaho-chan, a professional model and activist/idol for women everywhere. Your career has really been taking off as of late." Toga clapped her hands excitedly. "Thank you so much for taking the time to be on my show, I can't wait to get started!"

"Likewise, thank you for having me."

Shigaraki was holding his breath every time Kaho spoke; he didn't want to miss even a word.

"Now personally, I just love your image; you're fierce, you're strong, and I've heard so many of your fans appreciate your sincerity. It's not often people in your business are as candid as you are."

"I don't see any reason to act a certain way."

"And your look is something we don't see very often; would you say it's been hard to breakthrough when the muscular look isn't considered 'the look' by current trends?"

"I've always had fans who were partial to my style from the very beginning, but I suppose more people are giving it a chance. People will like what they like, so I don't bother trying to please everyone." Kaho replied coolly.

Toga squealed and blushed bright red and Kaho found herself edging away slightly in her seat; if Shigaraki could find an ounce of bubbliness in himself, he might have done the same thing. Instead he just held the pillow tighter, his hips shifting and his pants feeling uncomfortably tight.

"That's the exact attitude that gets people talking; now, Kaho-chan, what we want to hear today is something you haven't been so candid about. What can you tell the audience and all your devoted fans out there that they might not know?"

 _"Nothing. I know everything about you...how can I not? I cherish you so much Miss Dragon...no one else can possibly know more, be more loyal than me."_

Before he could stop himself, Shigaraki let out a shudder and a soft curse as he involuntarily found release at the friction of the soft pillow; he nuzzled into it with a sigh, eyes still glued to the screen. Clean up could wait until after he was done listening to her calm, soothing voice.

"Actually Toga-chan, I did want to make an announcement. You see, my agency and me have discussed the idea of having a sort of meet and greet at-"

 _"What?"_

Kaho was smiling politely, yet with genuine excitement; the hostess herself looked taken aback, the blush on her cheeks returning with a vengeance as she listened to the details of the upcoming grand opening of a store that would be carrying Kaho's newest line of clothes for the spring. The model herself would attend and then would go to a section inside the new boutique where Kaho would answer all and any questions. There would also be free autograph signings, one item for each attendee, as well as free photographs and a raffle.

"Ah and we will provide snacks." Kaho finished.

"This is unexpected! I don't think you've actually ever made an appearance at any public places for autograph signings, have you?" Tioga asked curiously with a tilt of her head.

"No, but...well, recently I've begun to see how much support I'm getting from the public. There's many people out there who want me to represent either an image not often focused on in the media or for me to be a spokesperson in some way for those who would want to be more...well, candid. People who see me as someone strong, when in reality, I have my own weaknesses to overcome."

Shigaraki sucked in a breath as Kaho smiled bashfully and tucked her hair behind her ear.

"I would like to give my thanks in some way and to show the individuals out there who are inspired by my journey know I want to support them as well and that we can all grow and change together for the better. In general, I would like to be a more open person…"

Shigaraki could barely listen to the rest; he left the recorder on but clicked the remote to turn the television set off.

 _"What was that?"_

The front of Shigaraki's pants was beginning to stick to his body, and he knew he should have already begun trying to clean up, but at the moment it was the last thing on his mind.

 _"No. No, no, no! Where is this coming from? Who's telling Miss Dragon she needs to 'change'? She's perfect just the way she is!"_

He held the pillow tightly and curled up on his side, trying to will away the oncoming headache, as well as the tightness in his throat.

 _"Miss Dragon smiled...she was only supposed to smile like that at me. Miss Dragon could tell, she could see my commitment to her, I know it! No one else deserves to see her that way, no one else but me!"_

Shigaraki willed away his hands from destroying everything in his line of visions by blocking all else out and just focusing on the softness of the pillow, of the beauty of Kaho's eyes, of the heat stirring in his stomach at the prospect of getting to see her so close in person again. While Shigaraki scraped his chipped fingernails against his neck to ease his agitation, a wave of sudden clarity hit him; this didn't have to be a set back.

 _"This is an opportunity...a chance to prove myself to her...to prove my worth."_


	18. Chapter 18

The last thing Kaho ever wanted was to begin a family of her own; the idea of having children was too remote to comprehend seriously. She definitely never expected a romantic relationship to be in her future. How could she? Her job was certainly not exactly the best place to meet men, and that besides, Kaho would never want to drag somebody into her life as it was. People who held grudges, people who would want to go after her, wouldn't think twice about targeting someone close to her; it was enough of a risk to be in contact with Ryoto, and even then Kaho could not think up a scenario where she would find herself caring for anyone else.

She couldn't say when it happened or even how, but somewhere along the line, Kaho realized there was little room in her heart for love of any kind. Ryoto was family, someone who needed her protection, and the last link to her soul, but he was her brother. Familial love she could easily empathize with, but feelings of genuine friendship and one romantic in nature escaped her. At the end of the day there were many things she didn't understand, but Kaho knew for certain she didn't want to risk hurting anyone who she could bring herself to care for.

Many people would no doubt judge her harshly for making the decision to have a hysterectomy, but Kaho felt it was the most responsible thing to do. She wanted to take no chances, and it was relatively easy for her to allow the surgery to basically take away any chance of having a child of her own flesh and blood. Afterward, Kaho felt no remorse, only relief that she might have spared another life the pain she had known in her own early years; she could admit to herself she was hardly in any position to be a sister, let alone a good mother.

Even now that her heart was being chipped at, Kaho knew it would have never worked out, especially not with the men she knew. Perhaps not all of them in her line of work were outright monsters, but when she tried to recall all her encounters with men, Kaho could honestly say she had never met a good one in her life. The closest she had ever gotten was knowing her little brother, who was fortunately as separated from her world as he could be. She had accepted the fact that any man she might become interested in for any reason would be the exact opposite of the type of person anyone would want to spend the rest of her life with.

And so, all Kaho could really feel as Shigaraki took her was some mild shock at the fact it was even happening; if it weren't for the stinging teeth indents littering her collarbones, the hands groping anywhere he could get at, and his hips obscenely slapping against her over and over, she wouldn't have believe it herself. And yet, here they were, her shoved on her back, her uniform ripped and turned to nothing but dust and fibers as Shigaraki rutted and groaned.

 _"I'm actually doing this. We're doing this...he's like an animal."_

The second he was inside her and leaving no time for her to so much and catch her breath, Kaho felt as though she were losing herself, like she was there, but not; her mind was indeed processing the events. She made sure her hands were placed carefully on the back of his neck and that her fingers ran through his hair instead of pulling.

Shigaraki was a horrible kisser; his breath was not so bad, but his tongue was almost repeatedly shoving itself down her throat when his lips weren't attached to her breasts or was no gentleness in his touches; the only goal in mind seemed to be grabbing at her like she was trying to leave and he didn't even seem to know what places he wanted to focus on. One minute his hand was fondling her chest, the next it was on her face forcing her to look up, and then they were gripping tightly to the sides of her hips, holding onto the patches of her scales for dear life as he made her part her legs.

Kaho could only hang on as he had his way; this was not about her pleasure, but about reinstating herself in his eyes. It wasn't an unpleasant time in the least, but it held none of the tenderness or consideration it could have had. Shigaraki might have been a bit more careful if he had not been so riled up.

The only thing that clued Kaho into the fact that this was much more of a big deal than simply finding release was how Shigaraki never seemed to look away from her eyes as he muttered and cursed and demanded she vocalize her pleasure.

"No one else."

Shigaraki croaked out, snapping his hips forward as he clawed at her thighs; Kaho could hear his weak breathing and feel how tense his body was, like a rubber band being stretched to its limit. Yet, her own voice was lost and she knew if she were to speak, it would mostly likely come out in a scream. So instead, Kaho nodded quickly and continued to gasp and cry out softly to appease him.

"You are only here for me. If you try to leave...if you let anyone else….I'll kill them. Then I'll kill you."

Shigaraki intertwined his fingers into her splayed out hand, her arm raised over her head as she gripped onto the pillow. His grin was shaky and mockingly tender as he leered down at her.

"If you're not mine, you should just die. So don't betray me….don't even think about it." he let go of her hand held her hips still. "Shit. Don't give me that look now."

"I'm not-"

Kaho slapped her freed hand over her mouth as Shigaraki's thrusts became more frantic, his hands pushing apart her thighs further so he could go as deep as possible in their position. His tone was just about as stable.

"I'm not done with you yet dammit. You hear me? It's all your fault I'm this way. You did this...you carved me open from the inside out and now I-!"

Kaho shook underneath him, her whole body aching and yearning for more, but she knew she wouldn't be finding her own release, not while Shigaraki was hardly aware of what he was even doing. She wasn't even all that sure how much pleasure he was getting from her; it seemed he was being overcome with the need to stake his claim, to use her willing body to prove to himself her words rang true. The roughness and lack of consideration came from an unsurprisingly selfish mindset, but Kaho had no misgivings about what they were doing or fear of him hurting her. None of it was to demean or belittle or harm as he ravaged her and swallowed her low moans.

"You saved me. You...you can't just do that and expect me to let it go. You can't." Shigaraki's strangled voice came out in huffs as he gasped for air. "You're not allowed to even think of leaving!"

Kaho raised her arm upwards as he mindlessly drove himself into her; he was gritting his teeth, eyes bulging from their sockets as he consumed her with his stare. In that moment, she knew nothing else existed to him. Shigaraki was a man possessed, a man floundering for some purchase after being thrown a curveball.

Someone else knew something about Kaho that was personal. She had cried in front of another man, had allowed him to comfort her, as half assed as the comfort had been. It was enougb to tear him apart from the inside out at the very prospect of people trying to reach out to her.

"You have to like me the best." he breathed and raked nails down her thighs lightly. "I won't stand for anything less. I won't let you go, I won't let you, I won't!"

Kaho couldn't help smiling softly, even as her body was being violently taken, even as his hands left marks and his teeth left bruises.

 _"I...think I actually like this. I want this...I want him….just as he is."_

She caressed his face and let her thumb rest on his bottom lip; she swore she heard purring. He kept up the brutal pace, but time seemed to stop as he looked down into her eyes. It was as if everything that mattered to him would be determined depending on what came out of her mouth in response. No one had ever looked at her as though one word from her would be enough to shatter them.

"I'm holding you to that Tomura."

She felt a shudder wrack his thin body; it was by no means as bad as she assumed, but the ribs were clearly defined and his veins could be mapped out through the skin stretched tight around his bones and flesh. In that moment, his eyes had lost all focus and his hips were rocking in a frenzy; his hands were sliding off her hips, but Kaho took them and made them stay put.

"Don't-don't let me go until you're done."

"Never. I've waited too damn long for this."

Shigaraki was keening and thrashing on top of her, his teeth bared like a feral animals as he rambled under his breath and struggled to hold himself up on his knees.

"Never, never, you're mine now. You promised-you promised Miss Dragon-ah!" Shigaraki was keening and grinding himself against her, inside her. "Shit, _you're mine!_ Kaho, I, it's-!"

Kaho took his face in both her hand and spread her legs wider; he knew it would be over before she could even speak.

"Please…"

Shigaraki saw white, digging his fingers into her skin one last time as he began grinding into her; the intense movements quickly transitioned to slow rocking, soft moans escaping his lips as he found himself collapsing on top of her slack body just as he managed to pull out. Kaho felt some of the mess slip out on the sheet, but Shigaraki made no effort to get off. He could hardly even think; his shaft was pulsing and his heart was pounding. Shigaraki almost couldn't feel Kaho's fingers running through his hair as she let his head loll onto her chest. With what little sense he had, Shigaraki did make sure his arms were laying on either side of her body, palms facing upward, so he wouldn't hurt her in his daze. Kaho was a bit surprised he had been as careful as he had been to prevent any damage to her; it had been clear Shigaraki had no clue how to touch someone with the intent of making them feel good. All he really knew how to do was destroy.

"Tomura? Are you still awake?"

"Tired" Shigaraki managed to get out.

Kaho nodded and began to scoot out from under him. "I'm going to clean up and get something to eat."

Shigaraki's glare was back in full force and Kaho froze in her spot.

"What do you mean? Don't you want to cuddle?"

Kaho tried to remain composed. "What."

"That's what you do afterward, right? Women want to talk and cuddle and all that. I read about it." Shigaraki insisted. "If it's good, that's what happens after, so why are you so damn quick to be on your merry way?"

"Oh sorry. Do you want me to bring you back food too?"

"Whatever. Do what you want, but don't take your sweet time doing it or I'll make you sleep on the floor." Shigaraki pulled the blanket over himself and yawned. "And don't talk to anyone. And bring me back something warm to eat."

"Sure thing Boss."

"Hey."

Kaho pulled on a new pair of her shorts and his discarded shirt. "Yes?"

Shigaraki wouldn't meet her gaze. "Did it hurt?"

"A bit, but I feel fine now." Kaho admitted told him. "I liked it though. I enjoyed it a lot more than I assumed I might."

"Shut up...I'm trying to sleep now." Shigaraki mumbled but he couldn't muffle the distinctly pleased lilt of his voice. "Don't take longer than fifteen minutes or I'll take back going easy on you next time."

"Who said I wanted you to go easy on me?"

"Just go get your damn food already!"

"Dabi's a homewrecker~" Toga sang as she scrolled through the quiz on her phone. "Hm, hey, this says if a boy likes you, he can get super nervous. Does it count if he looks scared?"

"I highly doubt it Toga-chan." Mr. Compress answered her; Spinner almost choked on his drink from a snort of laughter.

"I'll put it down anyway." Toga pressed the option on the online test. "Okay, now it says-"

"Do you ever think about anything else? Talk about single minded." Dabi intoned from his seat at the bar; Kurogiri was out on an assignment, but that didn't mean they weren't allowed to partake in the stock of alcohol. Dabi frowned down at his empty glass and poured his fourth cup of straight whiskey.

"I can smell the booze from over here, do ya mind not getting sloshed so early in the afternoon?" Spinner sneered from his position on the floor, though his eyes were glued to a handheld console, fingers tapping away furiously.

"We're celebrating aren't we?" Dabi said with heavy sarcasm as he took a generous sip; the liquid burned pleasantly, but his mood was still unagreeable.

"It is nice to be taking such a huge step forward." Mr. Compress stood off the side of the bar, leaning against the wall as he flexed the fingers of his prosthetic. "There's so many possibilities of where we can go from here, though I wouldn't say we should act recklessly. If anything, now is a critical time; whatever we do next, we might want to tread lightly."

"Well don't tell me, scold Dabi-kun. He's the one making trouble." Toga remarked; she spun around on the bar stool with a cool glass of lemon tea. "I bet Kaho-chan's in trouble now too after that stunt you pulled."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Dabi asked with subdued irritation.

"You cornered her after our meeting."

"What?!" Twice piped up from the pool table; he was playing against himself, in a figurative manner of course.

"Lower your voice, won't ya?"

"Uh-oh, the boss won't like that-why didn't I think of it? Kaho-chan is ugly! I can't take my eyes off her-it's like looking at a car accident!" Twice twirled his pool stick like a baton, the pole rotating faster and faster with his speech. "Nothing is more distracting than a beautiful girl with a gun, don't you think?"

Dabi's voice was impassive. "I wouldn't know."

Mr. Compress quietly said. "I must say, she has a way about her; I for one don't blame Shigaraki for his fixation, though I do hope this development won't put our plans at risk." he produced a few marbles and let them rolls around his mechanical fingers with ease. "But then, she could be very useful; it would be nice if that level head might inspire Shigaraki to reign in some of that impulsiveness."

Toga giggled and sipped her tea. "Hey, didn't Kurogiri-san and Tomura-kun go to see her in action? So lucky! I bet Kaho-chan looks super cute after she's killed someone! I should ask her to take me out on one of her jobs."

"Dragon Lady's only working for Shigaraki now, remember?" Dabi mentioned with an soft, exasperated sigh. "She can't afford to go back to that now anyway; but you're right Mister, she can be useful to us." he gulped down the last half of his drink.

"Yeah, but her mind is too narrow." Spinner spoke up, finishing the last level with a wide grin. "Nice! Anyway, Dragon Lady doesn't care much about changing the way things are; all she cares about is making money and protecting Shigaraki."

Dabi turned in his seat to glare at the man. "Well duh, it's her job, she has to do her job."

Spinner gave him a nasty look. "Excuse me for speaking out of turn. Maybe you should have a few more of those."

"I have been mulling over the risk it is to be including people who aren't actually invested in our cause." Mr. Compress commented. "Admittedly, Dragon Lady may feel some personal loyalty to Shigaraki, at least from what you told us Dabi, but that's not quite the same as being loyal to the League of Villains."

"Mr. Compress, you underestimate the lengths a girl is willing to go for the one she loves." Toga said teasingly as she check off another answer. "Hey, it says my love has a 80% chance of returning my feelings!"

"For the time being, she isn't a potential risk." Dabi slugged down a shot and smacked his lips; his head was beginning to feel a tad heavy from the alcohol and he made a mental note to grab something to eat soon. "Besides, I got a hunch Kaho will see things our way eventually."

"Well, she's probably in trouble now." Spinner commented. "If Shigaraki finds out you were stalking her, he'll get pissed."

"Or ask for tips." Toga supplied.  
"Will you shut up? Don't compare me to that guy."

"I'm so happy for Shigaraki, the lucky bastard-yeah, how'd that bastard get a cute girlfriend?" Twice pondered aloud as he sunk his eight ball into the one of the pockets of the pool table. "Kaho-chan isn't cute-she's more sexy-no, she's got creepy eyes, they give you shivers!"

"He's probably bribing Dragon Lady into it." Spinner switched out one of his games for a new one. "At least she won't be dead weight. It helps she's not bad to look at, even if she has eyes like a dead sharks."

"I'm glad we have another girl around now, especially since-"

Toga's sentence ended abruptly, her smile faltering; everyone went oddly quiet.

"If I had been more careful-"

"Enough of that." Mr. Compress spoke, effectively cutting of Twice's silent apology. "We've paid Overhaul back ten fold for killing Magne. Let's not dwell anymore on the past."

Dabi got up and wandered to the kitchen, for lack of a more fitting term; true there was a cabinet and a refrigerator, even a stove, but the tiny space behind the wall that seperated that room from the bar made one imagine it was originally meant for a slightly larger than average closet. There was another door one side of the room that led to a hallway connected to a few different rooms; the walls were thin, and it did not surprise Dabi that Kaho had appeared to have heard their whole conversation as she stood there stirring something in a dented pan.

"Is everything alright? I couldn't help overhear." Kaho began bluntly. "I hope Twice won't be carrying around that guilt; doing something like that can make for future indecision and a lot of second guessing."

"I'm sure he'll be fine." Dabi sniffed. "What is that?"

"Just broth and vegetables I mixed together." Kaho rolled up one of her sleeves that had fallen slightly as she stirred. "And if you were wondering, Shigaraki isn't mad any longer. Honestly though, I don't see how he gets anything done with how impulsive his emotions can be."

Dabi noticed there was a shadow of a fond smile despite Kaho's stern voice; he also couldn't help notice that the shirt she was wearing looked comparatively modest to what Shigaraki had been making her wear, even if she was still in her shorts.

As she set out two bowls and spoons, Dabi also couldn't help notice the dip in her collar was exposing a good expanse of her shoulders and collarbones, on which there were dark marks that looked faintly like teeth indents. It looked painful.

"What the hell?"

Dabi's words were honestly not meant to be said aloud, his slight slurring gave away his current state of mind; he felt his skin crawl at the image of Shigaraki looming over Kaho, her beautiful features twisted in pain and fear, and that manic, sickening leer cracking his face as he claimed her body.

"What is it?"

Kaho turned to look at Dabi as he cleared the room to stand by her and survey the bruising; if her small voice wasn't enough to point to something being off, her eyes glistening with unshed tears gave it away.

The answer was more than apparent; Kaho's desperation to provide for her brother, Shigaraki basically keeping her under his thumb in exchange for monetary gain and security, no doubt holding her brother's safety over her head. Dabi put the pieces together quickly to surmise just what had transpired.

 _"I knew that freak was obsessed, but…"_ Dabi could have thrown up right there, his stomach was churning so. "Where is he? Kaho, tell me where that sick son of a-"

Kaho blinked rapidly and wiped the corner of her eye all the while seemingly in shock at his sudden hostile aura. "I-wait just a second-"

"Some leader, making a woman cry and forcing himself on her….this isn't what I signed up for. I'm done here, and so is he."

Kaho's mouth gaped and understanding washed over her.

"Oh...oh. Oh no! Dabi, I was cutting onions."

Dabi stared blankly as Kaho gestured the a small, scratched up cutting board; just as she said, there was a pile of minced onions and a small knife.

"I was just about the add them to the soup. I'm not much of a cook, but I figured it would give this broth some flavor." Kaho told him. "I've never actually cut onions before, had no idea they could really make your eyes water."

Dabi was still glaring down at the onions as if he was still trying to wrap his head around something.

"So...you weren't…?"

"No." Kaho shook her head, tone almost apathetic. "If you'd like, you can have some, you look like you could use something to eat to dilute the alcohol in your system."

As she reached for a third bowl, Dabi let out a chuckle.

"I gotta say, I didn't expect you'd actually let that ugly fucker touch you."

Kaho's hand was paused; after a moment, she took the ladle and stirred the onions into the soup, letting the boiling liquid soften them up.

"I mean, seriously, are you that hard up for cash?"

"Not at all."

Kaho filled the two bowls up with a good portion of soup, taking one each hand and passing by Dabi without so much as a glance in his direction; Dabi watched her leave. For some reason he was feeling incredibly irritable.

"Where were you?"

"I made something to eat. Are you hungry?" Kaho asked Shigaraki as she closed the door to his room behind her.

"No. Is that my shirt?" Shigaraki cocked his head to side, blanket falling off his chest as he scooted up. Kaho had begun to flung her bare fists repeatedly into the punching bag in the corner of the room. Shigaraki watched silently for a few seconds, waiting for the bag to come off the chain.

"Miss Dragon?"

"Hold on."

Kaho sent a roundhouse kick to the bag and it slammed into the wall, cracking it and making a small hole.

"Sorry, what is it?"

Shigaraki looked at her. "Are you mad?"

"No."

"Miss Dragon, I think I just told you I don't want you to keep anything from me. After all, now that we belong to each other, it seems only right not to keep secrets. Right?"

Shigaraki's tone held a clear warning as he beckoned her to sit down on the bed: Kaho sighed and did just that, settling down stiffly on the edge of the bed as he wrapped an arm around her waist and smirked.

"Now, what's got you so upset?"

"Dabi insulted you. He thought you paid me to-"

Kaho's fists were shaking despite her even tone; Shigaraki studied her like a hawk as she breathed in and out slowly.

"I didn't try to kill him though, not unless you allowed it." Kaho mentioned. "I know he's a useful member of the League, but…" she sighed once more and ran her fingers through her hair. "Sorry."

Her irritation faltered when she heard a light wheeze of a laugh at her shoulder; Shigaraki's arms looped around her shoulders, his hot, stale breath brushing against her cheek. His fingers went up to lightly touch his own bite marks on her neck.

"There's no need to feel offended on my account. This is hilarious! He only wishes you were for sale; maybe then he'd have half a shot in hell!"

Kaho frowned. "I couldn't care less about that. I am surprised you're taking this so well."

"Of course I'm glad; I won! Talk about a sore loser. Not that there was any competition. But it is nice...to see you so riled up on my account...could it be you really do like me now? If that's true, I don't really care what that guy is thinking. You chose me."

"If you say so."

Shigaraki tugged on her waist and Kaho turned around to look at him questioningly; he laid back on the bed, hand now pulling slightly on the hem of his stolen shirt. Kaho followed his silent request and laid down on her side to face him.

"I'm going to need a new phone by the way, or at least a new number." Kaho said as she allowed Shigaraki to trace his pointer fingers around the lines of her scarred palm. "Ryoto keeps trying to contact me and I don't want to be tempted to pick up the phone."

"Miss Dragon, have you ever given much thought to your convictions?"

"Convictions?"

"Why you live your life the way you do, or more specifically, why you take life from others. Is it really all for the sake of your brother?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Why?"

"Is there an echo in here?"

Kaho almost smiled. "You know, my Quirk manifested when I was trying to protect myself; that bitch had tried to sell me. And then I killed her and when I met up with Giran for work, it only seemed logical to make a career out of the only thing I knew how to do….but even then, I didn't really care what happened to myself. Only what would happen to Ryoto without my income. It seems I've always killed for someone else's benefit."

"It's fitting."

"I don't want to change the world. Why should I?" Kaho spoke almost as if Shigaraki wasn't present. "Tomura...I don't understand it...but thank you."

"For what?"

"I'm not sure. For so long I felt that if Ryoto wasn't in my life, even if I don't have anything to believe in, I might just disappear."

"If you leave, I'll kill you."

"That's not what I meant." Kaho shook her head wearily; she looked into his eyes and caught the glint of madness. "Tomura, it's because of you I've realized that isn't the case...because for some reason, you feel I have something of worth to give you...and I don't understand why."

"You don't need to. You just have to stay here; when the League's time has come, we will shape the future, and when that day comes-"

Shigaraki rose, straddling her with a shaky grin; he looked as if he was in a world of bliss.

"You will be by my side, won't you Kaho?"

Kaho hummed as he bent down to nuzzle her neck and nip at the marks; he had no idea being so close to someone could make him feel drunk. His head felt full of fluff and cotton, and despite earlier events, he felt a warmth spreading through his lower body; Shigaraki's interest had been peaked the minute Kaho had come into the room, her eyes full of wrath as she tried to restrain herself. The fact she had been keeping his wishes in mind without even needing to be told was what really got to him.

"You'll will only use your fire for me now."

Kaho nodded and Shigaraki let out a sigh of what might have been relief; he carefully lowered himself down and rested his head in the crook of her neck and shoulder, effectively using her as a body pillow of sorts.

"You'll never back away from my hands...and I'll never let you go.


	19. Chapter 19:Epilogue

**Author's Note: This is sort of an epilogue/omake. I still have to finish my Model AU omake, but until then, I can't wait to be able to do a possible sequel to the story in the future.**

"What do you think of this?"

Toga held out a dress in front of Kaho's line of sight; the older woman shifted the three full shopping bags in her grip and shrugged.

"I think pink suits you."

"No, not for me, for you! You barely ever wear actual colors and what you do have is so…"

"Inconspicuous. Which is really what you should be aiming for right now Toga-chan; please keep your voice lowered while we're out today." Kaho told her as Toga hung the dress back on the rack with a dejected pout.

It had honestly shocked Kaho at all that Shigaraki had allowed her to spend the day more than five feet away from him; ever since they cleared up the misunderstanding, he had been even more insistent on touching her, though certain activities were strictly regulated to his room.

It was at a point Kaho couldn't even go to the restroom without having to tell Shigaraki, something that she found both tedious and endearing. She never thought someone could be so demanding of her presence.

 _"So many nevers...never get close, never being able to reach out to someone like this...was it not just a month or so ago I swore to never let something like this happen?"_

Toga brushed her loose hair from her shoulder. "I am being inconspicuous. See?" she held up the hem of her pleated skirt and gave a swift twirl in place. "I'm not wearing my uniform even! Don't I look cute Kaho-chan?"

"You do." Kaho replied truthfully. "I have to say, I'm so used to seeing you one way, I might not recognize you if I wasn't paying attention."

"Exactly! No one would bat an eye at a young maiden shopping with her friend!"

"That's smart, playing on a possible observer's expectations." Kaho conceded as she followed Toga to the cashier line. "Still, it never hurts to be careful."

"Oh just relax Kaho-chan, today is supposed to be about relaxing. Tomura-kun even gave you an extra allowance for you to spend, didn't he?"

"Yes, but I'm certain when he told us to use it wisely, he meant for emergencies. I'm here to keep and eye on you; it's already a bit of a risk just walking around in public." Kaho said sternly.

Toga paid for her thigh high kitten stockings, handing the little bag to Kaho so she could add them to their haul; although really, it was Toga who had been the one spending the day flitting through department stores, food vendors, and a knife shop.

"I like my butterfly knife, but I was wondering if I should get something a little more sturdy for cutting through bone." Toga absently thought aloud.

"I would stick to the butterfly; it takes a lot of physical strength to cut through bone, and the butterfly is better for concealing. Also, it's cute and you seem comfortable enough using it." Kaho carefully placed the bag of stockings into a larger one filled with two dresses and a shirt. "Why do I have the feeling I'm more here for assistance than protection?"

"But you're doing a good job; I'd get super tired having to carry all that stuff on my own. Hey Kaho-chan, do you like knives or guns more?"

"Guns."

"Why?"

"They're more efficient; if you do it right, you can kill someone almost instantly. Of course, in my previous work, that was the whole point. Not finishing the job makes you enemies and decreases your street value."

"Street value?"

"I mostly get jobs from word of mouth; associates I know tell potential clients about my work, and then they tell people they know. Typically the type of people who hire hitmen are involved with people in similar ventures."

"Oh, so it's like free advertising."

"In a sense." Kaho said. "Though the issue is keeping a low profile. You never know if plains clothes cops might be trying to lure you into a fix. Heroes tend to deal with bigger fish, but I suppose now I need to worry about them as well now that I'm with the League."

Toga had to take two steps to everyone of Kaho's as they walked, so the older woman began slowing down to let her lead. After all, there wasn't anywhere in the mall she herself wanted to visit.

"Kaho-chan, what do you do for fun?"

"Work out, sleep."

"That sounds boring." Toga commented as she glanced up the hall. "What else?"

"I…" Kaho frowned. "Give me a minute."

Now that she stopped to think, Kaho was having a bit of a time racking her brain for anything she did that could be constituted as fun or at least a hobby.

"I suppose that's really it. I like to do maintenance on my guns, but that's more of a chore than anything. I can't cook much...I don't mind reading in my free time, but I hardly ever do have free time in the first place."

"Do you collect books?"

"No. I had a small collection when I worked with Giran, but they were for education mainly than enjoyment."

Toga led Kaho to an ice cream stand and ordered a strawberry parfait with extra sauce; the look she gave the vendor as he generously poured the creamy dessert with the bright red topping made Kaho's stomach a tad queasy. Kaho turned down an offer for a snack of her own and sat down next to Toga on a bench, setting down the bags at her feet.

"Why don't you go to a bookstore before we leave?" Toga asked as she took her little spoon out of the plastic wrapping.

"I'm not really in the mood. Besides, I can only read so much."

"Why?"

"Well, I am self taught. Don't get me wrong, I can read and write for the most part, but it can be a bit difficult at times with things like novels. Comics and manga are easy though, as well as encyclopedias."

Toga was staring at her with confusion. "You didn't go to school...ever?"

"No." Kaho shook her head.

"Oh wow, I can't even imagine having to learn that stuff alone. I'd get bored so fast." Toga chirped. "Kaho-chan must be really motivated."

"Basic reading and writing is essential to know; math came a bit easier to me though. Helping Giran deal with money made me able to do calculations quickly enough."

Toga nodded. "So, you never went to school at all? You never even stepped foot in one?"

"I used to…" Kaho paused; Toga's face was so eager to hear, she almost felt suspicious. "Well, I guess it wouldn't hurt to tell you. I used to get my brother from school once in a blue moon."

"You have a brother?!"

"Not so loud Toga-chan." Kaho sighed. "But yes. I cut off ties with him though after Shigaraki hired me though. It's safer for him."

"Won't he miss you?"

"Maybe. I've hardly ever been around for him in the past." Kaho looked ahead of her and checked one of the huge clocks for the time. "I don't want to make things harder on him than they already are."

Toga nodded. "I getcha. Life is hard enough as it is."

Kaho blinked at her curiously. "Toga-chan, I don't know much on it firsthand, but do you miss school at all? I mean, going to classes and seeing your classmates and all that?"

Toga's smile had already begun to wane; suddenly, she ducked her head and shoved a spoonful of ice cream into her mouth. Kaho felt something in her pinch at the girl's indescribably expression.

"Toga-chan, have I upset you?"

"No not at all! I hated that dumb place, and I'm happy to be here now. It's a lot of fun!"

Kaho looked her in the eyes. "If you say so."

"And I can't wait to meet Deku again...I think we'll be seeing each other very soon…" Toga sighed dreamily, letting a drop of strawberry sauce land on the napkin folded over her skirt. "I want to taste his blood."

"You ought to be careful with that Quirk of yours." Kaho warned. "You never know, you could catch a disease or something by accident ingesting a stranger's blood. Always try to think before you act so you won't be putting yourself in harm's way."

"Kaho-chan, don't scold me like you know so much better. You're only a few years older than me anyway." Toga huffed, ignoring a tingling in her stomach and how the blush on her cheeks became that much more pronounced. "Aren't we supposed to be out to have fun? You can be so uptight."

Kaho said. "You'll thank me if we run into trouble. Besides, I'm here specifically to look after you; I shouldn't let myself relax too much."

"Huh?" Toga blinked and her pout fell from her lips. "You mean...you're worried if you let your guard down while we're here, it'll be harder for you to protect me?'  
"Essentially."

"Well stop. I don't need a bodyguard." Despite the command, Toga's voice held no hostility. If anything, she looked suddenly very much like a young school girl, like any other. She twisted the strap of her shoulder bag nervously and smiled up at Kaho.

"Hey if you want...let's pretend we're two friends going to the mall after school."

Kaho looked at her inquiringly. "Pretend we…what do you mean?"

"You never went to school and I always thought it was the pits." Toga's smile turned a bit cynical at the statement. "Let's have as much fun today as if we were hanging out like classmates do."

Kaho couldn't help a wry smile. 'You do realize if that was the case, I'd be at least in college and you'd be in high school-?!" her sentence was cut off by Toga shoving a spoonful of ice cream into her open lips; Kaho held the spoon in her mouth and stared down at Toga's cheeky grin.

"We're not that much apart in age." Toga reminded her. "So let's be friends!"

"Friends?" Kaho was actually a bit taken aback; no one had ever just asked to be her friend before. Actually, she never really had a friend before, except maybe Kumiko, who she unfortunately only ended up pushing away. She never wanted to get close to anyone for any reason.

"Hey, what's so funny?" Toga hadn't heard Kaho do more than chuckle dryly, but here she was almost giggling.

Kaho hide her smile swiftly behind her hand. "I'm sorry, but," she turned away slightly. "I wasn't expecting that. Or any of this. So much has changed so quickly; one minute I'm shooting a man full of lead and now I'm out having ice cream with a cute, deranged high school girl!"

"You didn't have to add in the first part…" Toga threw out her empty cup and the spoon, crossing her arms in front of her chest with a frown that was supposed to be sobering. Still, she could help smile.

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry." Kaho shook her head at her own foolishness. "What a fool I am…"

"Kaho-chan, it'll be time for us to leave in a couple of hours." Toga took out her cellphone. "Are you really sure there's nothing you want to shop for?"

Kaho put a finger to her lips. "Well...the day's almost out and I do still have that extra cash...but Tomura said to use it wisely-oh what the heck, I'll have him take it from my pay later if he wants."

"Yeah!" Toga cheered and jumped from her seat. "So, where do you want to shop?"

"Hm…" Kaho gave Toga a sly smile. "I think I have just the thing."

Dabi lolled about on the couch of the League's base, an arm lying over his eyes to shield them from the bright lights overhead.

"Can we turn the sun down?"

"Nope. Told you you should have slowed it down with those drinks." Spinner snickered at Dabi's slight slurring, though this time it was caused from exhaustion and a faint headache.

"Whatever. Are you the only other person here?" Dabi asked in a way that left no misunderstanding that Spinner wasn't exactly the company he wanted to be around at the moment.

"Mr. Compress is trying to modify his arm, Twice is wherever, Kurogiri is on an errand, and Shigaraki is with him. Toga is out shopping and Shigaraki had Kaho go with her for security." Spinner rolled his eyes as he focused on the blade in his hand; a few dozens knives laid out on a mat before him, each one a different type and at least half were yet to be properly maintained. "I hope I can get these done before Toga comes back; she'll end up grabbing at them and trying to steal one when I'm not looking."

"Why not just go somewhere else? I'm tryna sleep and the sound of you sharpening that thing is keeping me up." Dabi said, raising his arm to shoot Spinner a look.

"You move!"

"This is the only room we got with a couch."

Spinner growled under his breath and began rolling up his knives in the mat; to Dabi's annoyance, he made sure to do it with as much noise as possible, making the blades clink against each other and being sure to stomp on his way out to another part of the rundown building.

"Damn noisy lizard…." he muttered.

"Shut up!"

"And keep it down." But by now Spinner was gone and Dabi was left alone to try and get some shut eye.

"We're baaack!"

"Dammit."

Toga swept through the entrance with four or fives bags in her arms and her cheeks flushed as though she had just run a few miles to get to the base. Kaho followed her close behind with ten bags, her expression one of fond exasperation; as soon as she caught sight of Dabi, her smile immediately fell and her eyes turned to slits.

 _"Ouch."_

"Dabi-kun, look! I convinced Kaho-chan to go shopping with me and we found a bunch of cute dresses."

"Great. Would you mind lowering the volume a few thousand notches?"

"Don't be mad at me because you went overboard." Toga turned to Kaho. "Right Kaho-chan?"

"Let's go to another room and let him rest; besides, this room smells like ash and cheap whiskey." Kaho's nose twitched in displeasure. "Disgusting."

 _"Great. Can things get more uncomfortable?"_

Toga ignored her and set down the bags heavily on the other end of the couch, effectively making it impossible for Dabi to stretch out for his nap.

"But my feet hurt!" Toga sighed and collapsed on an office chair with stuffing coming out of the cushion.

"I told you not to wear heels." Kaho set down her bundle on the coffee table. "Toga-chan, maybe I should change. I don't think Shigaraki is back yet."

"No way, it took forever for you to decide on something! Besides, this way you can get a feel for how it fits." Toga told her. "It won't feel so stiff after wearing it around a bit."

"I guess." Kaho shrugged her shoulders; Dabi noticed that when she did this, the straps of the little black dress slipped further down. Of course, he didn't know much about fashion himself; maybe that was the look.

 _"What, collars low enough they show off you been messing around are the new thing?"_ Was what he wanted to say aloud, but refrained from vocalizing to keep the peace and to avoid another headache. Dabi wanted to cringe at the bitemarks still present on Kaho's skin; the plunging neckline did nothing to hide them, even seemed to emphasize them.

"I'm going to find a place to put my stuff." Toga gave Kaho an expectant look. "And don't change!"

"Alright, alright." Kaho said with a sigh and a half smile as Toga disappeared around the corner. "She really is a kid at heart, at least in some ways."

"You mad?"

Kaho's eyes finally met Dabi's. "Aren't you going to sleep?"

Dabi heaved himself to a sitting position. "Look, I crossed a line the other day. I got the wrong impression and I was drunk off my ass and...it wasn't my place to make comments. I have a shitty sense of humor in the first place, and well..."

He felt the other end of the couch sink as Kaho sat next to him; the shopping bags were piled up on the far end, making it hard for her to be seated and not have contact with him.

"I don't want to make waves over a nothing." Kaho told him sincerely. "I'm pretty much over it, just try to have some tact?"

"No promises."

She laughed briefly and Dabi had no idea it could feel so good to make someone laugh.

"Honestly, I wasn't mad about the misunderstanding. If anything, I felt a bit touched you would get so angry on my behalf. You're definitely not the kind of person I expected you to be."

"What did you expect?"

"Oh I don't know...a brooding, moody rebel. That sort of thing I suppose; but you have your standards and you're have more passion and drive than I assumed. Come to think of it," Kaho smiled a little. "Everyone here is a lot different than what I might have assumed. It's so odd...I've never had fun getting to learn more about people."

"You don't get out much, do ya?" Dabi let their thighs touch lightly.

"I don't do much of anything. Besides kill people and count money."

"Come on, don't talk like we're all so interesting or whatever."

Kaho shook her head. "It's not that. It's just, everyone here had their reasons for joining the League, and I sort of just stumbled on it. I'm suddenly talking with people who have such strong convictions, so strong they'd willing make themselves outcasts to achieve them."

Dabi ran a hand through his hair and tried to ignore the slight throbbing of his skull. "Some of us didn't have many other options to be fair. You get that; there's people in this world that never stood a chance, though whether it works out for the best or not is up to them. Personally, I plan to raise as much hell as I can to knock those fake heroes down a few pegs."

"Dabi, do you trust me? I mean, do you have any doubts about me being here?"

Dabi took this into consideration. "If I had to say so, no. I don't see any reason to distrust you or your motives. If anything, your motives are the only ones that could squeak by as decent to a good chunk of people."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, not everyone agrees with what we're trying to do; take a look at me, the psycho, and the lizard. We all get inspiration from Stain's, but we plan on carrying out his will in different ways for different reasons."

"There's conflicts within your own group alone, but to society, it's even more of a problem."

"Yep. But I'm going to do what I feel I got to, just like you, but most would be able to empathize a lot more with your circumstances. Actually, I'm shocked you're as well adjusted as you are, for a hired gun anyway." Dabi smirked lightly. "But what you've done trying to take care of your own...that's something easy to understand and accept. You were only working with the hand life threw you and it just happened to be a real shitty hand. But you know, you could be doing way more."

"And when you say more, do you mean being more active with the League's plans for the serum?" Kaho asked seriously.

"Sure, but why stop there? If there's one thing I can see eye to eye with that freak on is that you're strong, in mind and body. But instead of limiting you to being his toy, Shigaraki could be giving you more to do, or at least push you to think more about what you want."

"It's not as if he's controlling my every move."

"He might as well be; if you ask me, he's holding you back." Dabi countered. "Kaho, I don't think I've met someone like you before."

"I don't know how I should take that to be honest." Kaho said flatly, although her eyes told volumes as she suddenly averted her stare to her lap. She was twisting the hem of her skirt in her fingers, making the clothe ride up; Dabi looked back up at her before he lost track of his thoughts.

"You're still fighting. You might think otherwise, but it's the truth; you got up, and busted your ass for someone so you could make the world a better place for someone else. I hate people who wallow in self pity." Dabi drawled, frowning at the very thought. "It's pathetic. I couldn't have any respect for a person like that."

Kaho stared at him with an unreadable expression; Dabi felt like he was being studied like some rare specimen.

"What's with that look?"

"Oh I'm sorry. I just realized something."

"And that would be?" Dabi raised an eyebrow as Kaho smiled at him without a trace of cynicism or insincerity. _"Damn. First she gives me the cold shoulder now she won't leave me alone...I just wanted to take a nap."_

"I'll admit, it can be hard to talk to Tomura sometimes; I'm not surprised you two butt heads. Even I feel like I don't always understand him, but you're so direct. It's honestly refreshing to have an almost normal conversation where I know exactly what the other person is thinking." Kaho tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "I always have to be on my guard, especially with my work. You can't trust anyone."

"But you trust Shigaraki?"

"Yes."

Dabi snorted. "You're better than me. I can hardly stand being in the same room as the guy myself."

"Oh really? I had no idea."

"Ha." Dabi let his arm relax and brush against hers. "At least I'm not a ticking time bomb who'd taker their woman hostage if they tried to leave."

"You could make a good hitman." Kaho shot him a sly look. "But you're still tactless."

"I don't like beating around the bush. For example," Dabi gave her a once over. "You should wear stuff like that more often if you like it and not stress over your scars and shit. We got a chick wearing a school uniform and another guy wearing a Stain costume replica; you're probably the most normal looking of the bunch."

"How did you...do I really look so on edge?" Kaho glanced down at her uncovered arms and legs. "It's not that I dislike these clothes, but they're not very practical. This is my first time wearing anything other than pants or shorts."

"It's a good look for you. Really good."

"Aren't you just a natural smooth talker?" Kaho chuckled good naturedly. "Well, I wouldn't go that far, but thank you all the same."

"You sound like you don't believe me. I figured you'd be used to getting told that. Doesn't your boyfriend compliment you enough?" Dabi asked, slowly turning in his seat to face her; Kaho's expression was a mix of faint uncertainty and an indignant frown.

"I'm not trying to piss you off or insult Shigaraki." Dabi interjected before Kaho could tell him off. "I'm just sayin' don't sell yourself short; for example, don't waste time on a guy who isn't willing to tell you exactly what's on his mind or isn't mature enough to do it."

"What are you, some advice columnist?"

"Nope." Kaho didn't move an inch as Dabi leaned in with a lopsided smirk, almost like he did in fact have some words of wisdom to pass on in secret. "I'm just a guy sitting next to a tough, kickass woman and wondering why she can't get it through her head she should aim for more."

Kaho just looked up at him with a challenging look in her eyes; Dabi could see his own reflection in them. He could see his eyes in hers and he knew she must be trying to wrap her mind around just what reason he would have for looking at her in such a way.

"How about I make things simple?" Dabi placed his hands on his knees so he wouldn't fall over if Kaho moved away. "You want to know what I'm thinkin'?"

"Yes, I am."

Dabi took his sweet time with his answer, opting to allow his gaze to commit Kaho's calm expression to memory, the slight question in her unwavering gaze, the way her scales shined and molded into her skin seamlessly, and how her lips parted just so, as if there was more she wanted to say herself. Actually, she was speaking; Dabi blinked and tuned in.

"What is it?" Kaho repeated.

"I'm just trying to wrap my head around something that's been bugging me since you and I cleared the air."

Kaho's nerves didn't fail her, but her eyes were noticeably darting about, as if she was frantically trying to assess his motives.

 _"It's real irritating. I'm tired, my skull is throbbing, and I just want to go to sleep, but I'm still here talking with a woman who's hung up on a deranged manchild."_

"Ya know, probably the least interesting thing about you is your looks, but,"

Dabi let his fingers reach for her chin, holding it in place as he let his thumb graze her bottom lip. She didn't move away.

 _"Fuck it."_

Dabi tilted her face up to get a good look at her trembling mouth.

"No matter what's going on, I can't take my eyes off you."

The light was blinding his field of vision, bright and soft and harsh all at the same time; Dabi pried open his eyes reluctantly, using his hand to attempt to block out some of it.

"What the hell…?"

"We need a light on." Kaho stood over him, wearing her usual uniform with the addition of what might or might not have been one of Shigaraki's plain black shirts.

"Kaho?"

"Toga-chan, where do you want your bags?" Kaho asked as the teenager bounced over to her with a vapid grin.

"Just on the table for now, i want to sort them out and make sure I have all the receipts." Toga told her; just as she was about to close the door to the room, Shigaraki staggered through the doorway holding a box with a distinctly displeased look on his scarred face. Dabi wanted to throw up.

"Tomura, is something the matter? Isn't that the game you've been wanting?" Kaho asked lightly as she helped Toga find all the slips of paper detailing her purchases.

"It's not what I gave you the money for." Shigaraki was scowling like a kid denied candy; Dabi restrained himself from shooting the man a dirty look.

 _"How childish can you get?"_

"Well we didn't run into any emergencies, so I thought I might as well use it to pick up something you've been wanting. It'll be harder for you to move about now that the public's more aware of your face." Kaho pointed out.

"You completely ignored my requests."

"What are you talking about?"

Shigaraki stared at her before turning his glare to Toga. "Didn't you give her the catalogue?"

"Oops!" Toga scratched the back of her head sheepishly. "Sorry Tomura-kun, I forgot."

He returned her chipperness with a deep frown as she handed him a small paper booklet; Kaho recognized it from one of the clothing stores located inside the mall. A model on the cover was wearing a very seductive looking smile as she displayed her slinky red dress.

Kaho raised an eyebrow. "Do you even get mail?"

"I printed it out from their website; I wanted you to take it since I don't know your measurement." Shigaraki flipped through the glossy pages before holding it out for Kaho to look at. "I even circled which ones I wanted you to get specifically."

Instead of her reacting in embarrassment or anger, Dabi was surprised to see Kaho chuckling.

"Why didn't you just tell me to shop for them online myself? It would have been easier than sending me out with Toga-chan all day."

"But then we wouldn't have had such a great time, right Kaho-chan?"

Toga looked ready to burst when Kaho' petted her hair lightly.

"Yeah, it was fun. I'm sorry Tomura, I'll go on their site now."

"It's fine." Shigaraki said in a tone that gave away just how angrily disappointed he was at the day's developments and the fact he had unknowingly sent her away for so long for no good reason.

Kaho looked like she wanted to roll her eyes; then suddenly, she looked inspired.

"But you know, I do prefer wearing this more than anything else." she picked at the hem of her shirt. "Hey Tomura, I'm a bit tired. Can I watch you play your game? It's always cool to see you breeze through it."

Shigaraki shrugged, but the fact that he wasn't ready to give her a scathing remark showed just how content he actually was; his idea of a date was having Kaho lean back on his chest while he pounded away at his controller, her body warm and pressing into him, her soft, even breaths comforting. In these moments, his mind was oddly at peace.

Dabi watched with deaden eyes as Shigaraki tugged on Kaho's sleeve to make her abandon Toga to the mess and come with him back to their room. The gesture was so immature and whiny, his voice even more so as he demanded her undivided attention; and she only looked at him with mild, barely visible affection and spoke with steadfast patience.

And wearing his shirt.

"...I'm going back to sleep."

Toga waved blithely. "That's all for now folks, thanks for your support!"

"The hell you taking to?"

"No one..."


	20. Chapter 20: Omake Pt 3

Kurogiri knew it was the right idea to stick by in the wooded area near Mei Ryuu's residence with a warp ready to whisk him and Shigaraki straight away in case something went wrong. Shigaraki was not even gone for more than three minutes when Kurogiri saw him sprinting like a madman away from the house; he had already taken ten minutes previously to get himself mentally prepared to ring the doorbell and speak to Kaho Ryuu, who was quoted in a magazine to visit her grandmother's house every Sunday night for dinner. The price to purchase the exact address from Dabi had not been an issue, as it turned out Shigaraki's own nerves were his own worst enemy. The only consolation was that he had bolted before Kaho or anyone else could even get to the door and it was unlikely he had been seen.

Shigaraki was stewing in his frustration the whole way home and Kurogiri, not wanting to have the extra payment for his services taken back, didn't so much as breathe to him, not even when Shigaraki had stormed off to turn in for the night.

As soon as he was in the privacy of his room, Shigaraki threw himself on his bed, arm laying over the body pillow with Kaho Ryuu's likeness like a lifeline.

" _Dammit. Goddammit, she'll think someone was pranking her; or what if she thinks it was a stalker? I bothered her, if she finds out she'll be upset, she'll think I'm disgusting, she-"_

Shigaraki spent the majority of the night cradling the pillow as carefully as he would the real thing, muttering words of apology and wishing the image could return his embrace.

'How would do you expect me to understand your feelings this way?' he imagined Kaho would say, chiding him gently as she fixed him with a sober gaze.

" _I know that! But what else can I do? I know Miss Dragon will understand once I speak up, but how can I get her attention?"_

Shigaraki wanted to whine; he comforted himself somewhat with the fantasy of burying his face into the crook of her neck to take in her scent; he had already spritzed the pillowcase with Kaho's preferred brand of perfume, along with his collection of clothing items he had seen her model. It was his most outlandish and desired wish to have her perform a private show just for him, posing for his eyes alone and allowing him to help her undress with each outfit until he could no longer control his urges. It would be their own special foreplay.

" _As if she'd ever agree."_

Shigaraki knew he would be lucky if Kaho could even stand looking at his face for longer than a minute; while her scars made her seem both wild, untamed, yet approachable, his just made him look ugly. He knew he looked ugly.

It was far too easy and painful to picture how Kaho would shudder at the thought of running her fingers through his greasy, tangled mess of hair, cringe at his awkwardly gangly body, and pull away from his cracked, chewed lips pressing against her skin. Shigaraki would need a miracle to just touch a finger to her scales; he couldn't decide whether they would feel rough and rugged or smooth and hard like marble.

" _But she did hold my hand...Miss Dragon even took a picture with me. She's never done that before; even if she thinks I'm hard to look at, it doesn't matter."_

By nature, Shigaraki could admit he didn't care for putting effort into anything he didn't care much for; chores were a inconvenience, along with cooking, which is why 99% of his meals were from instant recipes. Even if he could muster up the motivation, Shigaraki knew he'd just end up decaying half the ingredients or the utensils; Kaho had realized the significance of him baking her cookies with his own two hands and she had acknowledged him as such. She could have screamed at him in reproach and fear and demanded he get out of her sight.

" _I can't just give up now. Miss Dragon deserves better."_

Shigaraki jumped up in bed to get his cell phone; Dabi had teased him earlier with the knowledge that he could sell the man Kaho's personal landline number for roughly 10,000 yen, but it didn't feel right at the time. Even Shigaraki knew it was crossing a line; a relative was one thing, but Kaho's actual, personal phone?

" _Desperate times call for desperate measures. The meet and greet is tomorrow."_

Shigaraki wired the money to Dabi and in less than ten minutes had the information he wanted. Unfortunately, it took much longer to actually dial the number.

"H-Hello?"

Kaho's voice was right next to his ear; a violent shudder ran up and down Shigaraki's spine as he low, groggy reply went straight to his groin.

" _We could be in bed together…"_

"Hello?"

The voice was a lot sharper now, laced with irritation; in hindsight Shigaraki could have waited when it was not two in the morning, but truth be told, he had lost track of the time while he was gathering the nerve to press the last digit of her number.

No more beating around the bush or chickening out; Shigaraki tried to control his breathing, tried to remember everything he had rehearsed to say. He was just about to attempt to vocalize a vowel when the other line went dead.

In a blind panic he dialed the number again in a second, smashing the cell phone to his ear and hugging the body pillow tight for courage.

"What?"

"Miss-um, Miss Dragon...it's me."

"Who?"

Shigaraki tried not to let his disappointment be heard in his voice; of course, it did sting she didn't remember his special way of addressing her. Was it possible she had forgotten him?

"Do...do you remember me? I gave you cookies...you he-held my hand."

There was pause.

"How did you get this number?"

"I-" Shigaraki felt his lip wobble and he took a deep, shaky breath; her tone was so curt. "I don't mean to bother you, I just-I have to tell you-"

"I asked you a question."

Shigaraki felt both his arousal and shame flare up; Kaho's voice was too close and too cold at the same time.

"Please listen to me Miss Dragon. I-I...you can't go to the store opening tomorrow. You'll give everyone the wrong idea. Is that manager making you go?"

"What are you…?" Kaho's voice trailed off in confusion, probably taken aback by the sudden forcefulness in his tone.

"You still have time to cancel. You're...you're perfect. You don't have to change, everything about you is already just-just-" Shigaraki felt his face darken slightly and resisted the urge to smother it in the pillow.

"What are you saying? Who do you think you are?" Kaho demanded coldly.

"I'm your biggest fan! I would never hurt you, I just want you to stay the way you are; Miss Dragon, please reconsider, those other 'fans'," Shigaraki spat out the word like it left a bad taste in his mouth, statements becoming more jumbled as he spoke, like he was trying to get out his speech as quickly as possible. "There's no reason for you to reach out to them. They can't appreciate you, they could never…. _revere_ you the way I can."

There was another long pause where all Shigaraki could hear was his own labored breathing; the sound of the other line hanging up was so quiet he almost missed it.

"Miss Dragon…?"

Not a sound; Shigaraki dialed the number again.

And again.

And again.

And again.

And again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again.

" _They probably told her not to talk to fans directly on her phone. It would be special treatment and those agency people feel they need to control her every move for her career._

And again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again. And again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again ad again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again.

" _Miss Dragon must be sleeping; it is late and they probably making her prepare for that stupid meet and greet. She's just taking her time to think about what I've said; maybe it was overwhelming to hear all of that at once."_

Shigaraki felt a bit more at ease and snuggled up against the pillow, careful of where his hands were placed.

" _She can't talk freely now. And if she has second thoughts...well, we won't need to resort to that."_

Still, Shigaraki knew now wasn't the time to go into battle without a back up plan; by the time it he was sitting amongst a throng of chattering people waiting for Kaho to come out for the Q & A session of the store opening, Shigaraki doubted he would even need to enact such a strategy.

"Good afternoon, and thank you all for coming out to show your support!"

The young woman Shigaraki remembered as Hiksu (or as he liked to think, the meddling wretch who interrupted his very first meeting with Kaho) had appeared at the table with a microphone in hand to go over the rules and guidelines for the Q & A. Shigaraki's knee bounced up and down rapidly as he waited for her to stop talking.

And then, as if summoned by his desire, Kaho entered the room through another door coming out of the side by the long table. Her stride was as brisk and confident, and any worries that Shigaraki had of his calls making her rattled were abated as she stared straight into the crowd with a steady gaze.

" _Miss Dragon, look at me. Only look at me."_

Shigaraki wished he could have taken off his hooded sweatshirt, but he didn't want to go through the annoyance of anyone staring at him or chance having Kaho noticed him just yet. When her sharp eyes had roved over the crowd during her greeting, they had passed over him without pause; he had made sure to sit in the very back, even if it was torture to keep such a distance. Shigaraki imagined the people in the front row had the privilege of basking in her strong aura, drowning in the soft aroma of her perfume.

It made a hot spike of rage stab him through the heart.

" _None of you deserve to even be in the same room with her. I'm the only one who would go as far as I have."_

Kaho answered each question, no matter how redundant or tedious with the utmost patience and attention; every now and then she would grace someone with a small, but genuine smile of gratitude as she thanked them for taking the time out of their day to attend or she paid them compliments depending on their inquiry. Her manager was calling out the numbers that each attendee had received at the beginning of the event; Shigaraki's was about to come up.

"Number fourteen."

Shigaraki stood up so fast he knocked over his fold in chair; it crashed to the ground with a harsh clatter, but he paid it no mind.

"I-I'm...Miss Dragon, I don't want you to change."

A look of recognition passed over Kaho's features and Shigaraki felt his chest swell; he felt encouraged to continue.

"You're perfect. Everything about you is...I can hardly even think of a phrase that would do you justice. Ever since you began your career, I've watched you. I've been there the whole time, cheering for you, but it's getting hard when you're not being true to yourself. I don't know why you feel the need to cater to idiots and posers, but you shouldn't feel the need to. Your stoic personality, your strong body, your fierce eyes, and your beautiful scars. I've embraced it all; everything about you is so beautiful, so sublime, you'd make mountains bow down before you. Miss Dragon, I'll support you until the day I die..."

Shigaraki's sentence tapered off in a choked sort of gasp; it had taken everything in him to manage to croak out all the words he had been saving up, practicing over and over in his head until the very moment his number was called. He noticed everyone's eyes were on him, burning into him, scrutinizing his every move. Kaho's eyes had never once wavered as well, but her gaze did not burn; it made him glow. It was the most wonderful feeling she could have given him.

" _Finally."_

He stood and waited for her to speak, soaking up every second her stare was pinning him in place.

" _Yes, yes Miss Dragon, look only at me!"_

"Thank you. Hiksu-san, who is next?"

"Um...number...number fifteen!"

The manager and everyone else was still staring openly at Shigaraki, who had not yet taken his seat. He was still waiting for a response, but Kaho's eyes were now on the fifteenth questioner, who rose timidly in his seat with a quick glance behind him at Shigaraki.

"Thank you for coming today. What would you like to ask me?"

Without waiting for another minute to pass, Shigaraki fled from the room into the store hall and into the nearest men's restroom to throw up. He spent a good ten minutes bent over the toilet, dry heaving even after all the contents of his gut had been spilled and flushed. The once paled cheeks were flushed brightly in hot embarrassment. When he finally was able to sit up, he contacted Kurogiri through text and double checked his person for the supplies he needed; truthfully, it was a task to breathe, let alone make out the buttons of his phone through his blurry vision.

He had never felt so betrayed in his life. He had never felt so alone.

" _How could she? Miss Dragon basically ignored me! She led me on, she made me think we had something, and then she-she-she-how could you!?"_

Kaho left through the same exit; on the other side was the long hallway where the custodian and maintenance offices were located, though by the time the event was over, all the staff were busy cleaning up through the store. At the end of that long hallway was the exit leading outside where Hiksu was waiting with the car.

Kaho stopped; a man she didn't recognize was blocking her way.

"Excuse me Ms. Ryuu, I'll need you to come with me."

Kurogiri manifested a person sized warp for Kaho to step through.

"And just who are you?"

"I'd appreciate your cooperation. Or should I say, Ryoto-kun and your grandmother would benefit the most from it if you just followed directions; I don't exaggerate when I tell you their very lives are depending on it."

Kaho's glare immediately dropped. "W-what?"

Kurogiri cocked his head to the side. "My, I didn't think such a stern woman could make a face like the one you are. From all the photos I've seen, you can hardly crack a smile. But I suppose we all have our weak spots. Now, if you please."

Kurogiri gestured to the portal; Kaho's expression was still relatively calm, but he could see the gears turning in her brain.

"Are you-? That call-"

"I assure you, they will not be harmed as long as you comply. You yourself are not in any foreseeable danger." Kurogiri tried to sound reassuring, though he himself wasn't entirely sure if this was true or not.

Whether it was the threat of harm to her loved ones or the confidence that she could handle herself, Kaho stepped forward slowly into the void.

"Good girl."

A hand shot out to grab her inside and slap a damp rag to her mouth; Kaho struggled against the unnaturally strong hold as she prepared to set Shigaraki ablaze. The shot of fire that came out of her lungs only reached about a foot as she found her consciousness slipping; Shigaraki had easily been able to side step her attack, but he didn't move away. He held Kaho up as she slumped over in his arms, half carrying her to the other side of the warp gate where his bedroom was.

"I'm sorry about the blindfold and the gag, but I need you to listen carefully before you set the room on fire. Nod if you understand."

Kaho nodded, if somewhat reluctantly; her head was still feeling fogged up and there was a pit of nausea in her stomach when she tried to move her hands.

Shigaraki had bound her with handcuffs by her wrists and ankles to the four post bed.

"I hope they don't hurt. They're leather on the inside." he told her almost casually; Kaho felt a weight next to her side make the bed dip. "Miss Dragon, as of now the man who transported us is standing by at your grandmother's home. I will be sending him signals periodically with my phone to let him know you're not making any wrong moves; if you don't struggle and refrain from trying to set me on fire, I won't tell him to just go ahead and kill your family. I wouldn't want to hurt you without reason."

Shigaraki took a deep breath; Kaho nodded stiffly once more, quickly.

"I'm going to remove the gag and the blindfold."

He slowly undid the leather gag before untying the pitch black scarf tied around her head. Once her vision was unobstructed, Kaho glared up coldly at her captor. The room she was being held in was bright and clean, the only furniture being the bed, a large dresser, and a large television. An open closet was adjacent to what Kaho assumed was the door out of there; she could see the space was packed with clothes hanging off dozens of hooks. Many of these clothes looked familiar.

"Miss Dragon…"

"You again. Just what the hell is this about?"

"Miss Dragon-you're…"

Kaho's glare faltered to a look of mild bewilderment; tears began to trickle from the corners of Shigaraki's bloodshot eyes. His smile warped his features into something beastly.

"You're here. You're really here."

Kaho kept her eyes on his face; she looked determined to show no fear.

"I-I've thought of this day for such a long time. I always...I guess I should apologize first, about coming to your grandmother's last night. I really did just want to speak with you face to face, but I...I couldn't handle being so close to you so soon."

"That was you?"

Shigaraki nodded with earnest. "I meant to stay, really, but...well, then I called, and I don't think I got my feelings across very well, and then today-"

Kaho wanted to sink further into the mattress; his stare turned hostile as suddenly as the tears had come.

"You rejected me. You...Miss Dragon, I'd do anything for you, but you just stomped on my feelings. You'll answer their stupid questions and smile at them and shake their hands, but what about me? I could understand it if you gave me that attention, but they-they don't deserve it. How could you do that to me? Don't you realize how much it hurts me to see that?!"

Shigaraki was hyperventilating and dragging his nails along both sides of his neck with furious strokes.

"It's hurts so much...it sucks. It's not fair!"

Kaho was stunned into silence at the scene, but her cold glare didn't fade at Shigaraki's complaints. If anything, they seemed to make her angrier.

"And so? What are you going to do? Is this revenge?"

Shigaraki's fingers stopped scratching abruptly. "No! No, I'd never-Miss Dragon, I could never hurt you! I'm your biggest fan!"

He practically ran over to the closet; he gathered a bundle of the dresses in his arms and pulled them off the rack to bring back to her.

"I buy all the articles with your name and pictures. I have all the photo books, magazines, printed out website pieces; I have stacks of tapes with footage of your interviews and shows! I even try to buy all the outfits you've modeled in; I spent a month eating nothing but bread and water just to get this one, see?"

Shigaraki proudly held up a dress black as charcoal with material that flowed through his hands like water; Kaho recognized it from a particularly pricey brand from a company she had been hired for some years ago. It was one of her first jobs.

"I even...I bought this a little while ago."

Shigaraki carefully set down the heap of dresses on the top of the dresser; Kaho watched in transfixed horror as he pulled up the body pillow, still stained from his previous activities. He held it to him with all the loving care a mother might use to hold their child.

"I wasn't going to get it, but...it's so hard to not be able to hold you. I figured this was as close as I'd ever come." Suddenly, Shigaraki's whole face lit up and he placed the pillow off in the corner. "But I don't need that now. Not when you're here, right in front of my eyes."

Kaho's stare was withering. "So now what?"

A tense silence invaded the room; Shigaraki stood there, shoulders hunched and face blank.

"I...I...didn't think that far ahead."

Kaho stared. "What?"

"Don't look at me like that!" Shigaraki snapped and advanced closer. "I was panicking and you were going to leave and-and you wouldn't listen! I had to do something!"

Kaho breathed deep and let out a slow breath. "Shigaraki, right?"

"Y-yes?" his voice changed on a dime; Kaho decided to speak calmly as she could. It was clear already he wasn't all there.

"If you aren't going to hurt me, what is it you want? The fact remains, you kidnapped me and now I'm here and you're holding my family's safety over my head." Kaho mentioned with thinly veiled bitterness. "So what do you want from me?"

Shigaraki studied his feet with the eyes of a puzzled child, his fingers twitching as he wheezed lightly. He really only had to think for a moment before coming to a decision.

"Miss Dragon, it's not so much as what I want from you as what...what I want to give you."

"Fine. Then what is it?"

Kaho doubted it was more cookies from the way Shigaraki was glancing down at her with a couple of beads of sweat rolling down the side of his face. His eyes gleamed with barely concealed greed and longing as he took another step toward her.

"Me."


End file.
